NICE, France- French officials identified a 31-year-old Tunisian man as the culprit of a 19-ton truck driven massacre on the French Riviera this past Friday.

The truck drove straight through a crowd of civilians celebrating Bastille Day with fireworks in the southeastern city of Nice, killing at least 84 and wounding up to 202 individuals, according to the New York Times report on the incident.

The charge was only stopped once police shot the Tunisian man behind the wheel of the truck.

Parisians and citizens of the world alike have been mourning the loss of life that occurred in Nice. However, some of Wilmington’s own community felt this impact even closer than most.

“Everyone was really freaked out when they found out what happened,” said UNC Wilmington junior Kaitlyn Baxley, who is currently spending the summer abroad in France.

Baxley was in Paris, France at the time of the attack, celebrating Bastille Day. She recalls that as soon as her group of friends got back to their apartment, their families were contacting them to make sure everything was okay.

“Our study abroad group was actually in Nice last Thursday,” said Baxley, “and some of the people in my group [for study abroad] are in Nice right now.”

Baxley said that incidents like this impact Americans abroad because they are actually seeing what is happening first hand.

It is completely different to be here and experience the shock of the events that have happened according to Baxley.

“Studying abroad in France has been great, but there has always been a constant reminder of the events that happened before coming here,” said Baxley.

UNCW has been really good about keeping in contact with its students abroad, according to Baxley. She notes receiving many emails about where she is and asking if she has been in contact with her family.