On July 14, Nicolas Leslie, a 20-year-old UC Berkeley environment studies major studying French in Nice, sent a video of himself dancing at Bastille Day celebrations to his friend Mustapha Khokhar according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Fifteen minutes later, Leslie was one of 84 people run over and killed by a truck in attacks that have shaken the international community. Berkeley's office of Pubic Affairs wrote yesterday that Leslie's death was confirmed to campus officials by the FBI.
Leslie was missing as of Friday, when Berkeley officials announced that three other students of 85 visiting the area for a 15-day Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Europe conference had been injured in the attack. Vladyslav Kostiuk, 23, suffered a broken leg, Diane Huang, 20, was injured with a broken foot, and Daryus Medora, 21, broke a leg. The New York Times reports that Kostiuk and Huang have been released from hospitals while Medora is still receiving care.
Nick Leslie, Berkeley student, missing after #NiceAttack https://t.co/qDCxpdYpKA pic.twitter.com/mwkgxArfoG
— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) July 15, 2016
Leslie grew up in Del Mar, California, and after his undergraduate years at Berkeley had plans to continue his studies at the university's Haas School of Business according to the LA Times. When he could not be contacted after the attack, Leslie's mother, an Italian, sent family to search for him in Nice area hospitals.
"All of us in the UC Berkeley family — both here on campus, and around the world — are heartbroken to learn that another promising young student has been lost to senseless violence,” a press release quote UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, who is referencing the death of sophomore Tarishi Jain, 19, killed two weeks ago in a terrorist attack in Bangladesh at a restaurant.
William Morrow, Associated Students of the University of California president, writes that a vigil is planned for Leslie today at 4:30 p.m. at Sproul Plaza. Nearly 500 students say they plan to attend according to a Facebook event listing.
Previously: Three Berkeley Students Attending Conference Injured In Nice Attack, One Missing