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Was This an Act of Domestic Terrorism in Rochester, New York?; UPDATE: No Evidence of Terrorism

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  January 02, 2024 9:00 AM

This incident was a close call. Tragically, two people were killed, but based on eyewitness and police reports, Rochester, New York, could have been the site of a mass casualty event. Around 1,000 people were leaving a rock concert when an SUV loaded with gas canisters toward the attendees. The vehicle was only stopped because it crashed into an Uber. Police are now investigating the incident as a possible act of domestic terrorism (via NY Post): 

A couple was killed and numerous others injured just hours into the New Year when a car filled with explosives barreled into a crowd of people leaving a rock concert in upstate New York, police said. 

The fiery crash occurred at 12:50 a.m. outside the Kodak Center in Rochester, where roughly 1,000 people were filing out after a New Year’s Eve moe. show.

Rochester officers were helping pedestrians cross the street when a Ford Expedition sped toward the mob, but smashed instead into an Uber that was pulling out of a nearby parking lot, law enforcement sources said. 

“The force of the collision caused the two vehicles to go through a group of pedestrians that were in the crosswalk and then into two other vehicles,” police Chief David Smith said at a press conference. 

The cars exploded into an intense blaze that took the fire department nearly one hour to extinguish. 

A couple riding inside the Uber were killed, while their driver was rushed to the hospital in non-life threatening condition, sources and police said. 

Three pedestrians were struck by the flying cars — one of whom was left clinging to life. 

The driver who tried to mow down the crowd was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. 

He died of his injuries around 8 p.m. Monday and was identified as Michael Avery, law enforcement sources told The Post. 

[…] 

Members of moe., the Buffalo-based rock band who had been playing a show at the music venue before the incident, said they were left in “profound shock and sadness.” 

The motive is currently unknown. The NY Post added that Avery, a Syracuse resident, had rented a hotel room in Rochester and found a suicide note and other writing materials. Interviews with family members point to Avery suffering from bipolar disorder, but he was never officially diagnosed by mental health professionals.

***

UPDATE: As one would expect, the FBI is investigating the incident (via CBS News): 


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The FBI is investigating a deadly crash in Rochester, New York, as a possible terror incident after canisters of gasoline were found at the scene of the crash, CBS News has learned. The fiery two-vehicle collision killed two people and injured five others early on New Year's Day, officials said.

The crash happened shortly before 1 a.m. Monday as officers were directing traffic after a concert let out at the Kodak Center theater complex, police said in a statement.

A Ford Expedition struck a Mitsubishi Outlander, sending both vehicles "through a group of pedestrians that were in the crosswalk," the statement said.

UPDATE II: Law enforcement says there's no evidence of terrorism (via The Hill):

Law enforcement officials said Tuesday they have so far found no evidence suggesting any terrorist activity was involved in the planning or executing of the fiery car crash that took place outside the Kodak Center in Rochester, N.Y., shortly after midnight Jan. 1.

At a press conference Tuesday, Rochester Police Chief David Smith identified the suspect as 35-year-old Michael Avery, a resident of Syracuse. Smith confirmed Avery died Monday night, becoming the third fatality from the crash.