In the early hours of the New Year, a horrific car explosion in Rochester, New York, claimed the lives of three individuals and left several others injured.
The incident occurred when a Ford Expedition, loaded with at least a dozen gas canisters, collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander at approximately 12:50 a.m. on January 1, 2024. The incident took place as concert-goers were exiting the Kodak Theater.
The driver of the Ford Expedition was identified as 35-year-old Michael Avery from the Syracuse area. Avery succumbed to his injuries in the hospital later that night, according to Rochester Police Chief David Smith, who addressed the media in a press conference on Tuesday. Avery's family informed investigators that he was potentially grappling with undiagnosed mental health issues. However, no suicide note or journals were discovered by law enforcement.
The impact of the collision resulted in a fiery blaze that engulfed a parking lot located a few blocks from the concert venue. Firefighters battled the inferno for approximately an hour. The two occupants of the Mitsubishi Outlander were pronounced dead at the scene, while Avery passed away in the hospital. Five other victims were rushed to the hospital, one of whom sustained life-threatening injuries, as per Chief Smith.
Independent reporter Geoffrey Rogers, who has been covering the incident, shared dramatic footage of the moment of impact with Fox News Digital. "I've never been to any crime scene like that in my life," Rogers, of GSL News, told Fox News Digital. "The whole street smelled like gas."
Avery had been residing in a Rochester hotel, approximately a 1.5-hour drive west from his home in the Syracuse area. The reasons behind his presence in Rochester and his apparent intention to target pedestrians and ram another vehicle with a dozen gas canisters remain a mystery. These unanswered questions form part of an intricate puzzle that investigators are striving to solve.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans expressed his confusion during Tuesday morning's press conference, stating, "There are lots of questions. I have lots of questions. Everyone up here still has lots of questions." He added, "Why Rochester? Why Syracuse? Why all the gas cans? These are all things that will continue to be investigated. And as the chief has said, this is an ongoing investigation until it's not. But we will continue to provide updates."
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force was summoned as part of the standard protocol for such incidents. However, according to both the FBI and the police chief, the deadly incident does not seem to be a terrorist attack or motivated by radical ideology. Jeremy Bell of the FBI stated that their presence is "not abnormal in a case like this," and they will remain on the scene until the investigation concludes. "What I can tell you is so far we've uncovered no evidence of an ideology and no nexus to terrorism, either international or domestic," Bell said.
The police chief outlined a four-day timeline of peculiar events leading up to the fatal attack on the morning of January 1. Avery had traveled to Rochester on December 27 and checked into the WoodSpring Suites in Greece, New York, located about five miles from the crash site. On December 29, he rented a Ford Expedition from an agency at the Rochester airport. The following day, Avery made multiple purchases of gasoline in gas containers from various locations throughout Monroe and Ontario counties. According to police, he appeared to be alone during each purchase.
On the fateful day of January 1, Avery accelerated his vehicle, crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic, and seemingly intentionally drove towards a pedestrian crossing. Simultaneously, an Uber driver, who was the other driver involved in the incident, was pulling out of a parking spot and was caught off guard by Avery's Ford. The attack took place as attendees were leaving a concert by the rock band moe.
The band expressed their shock and sadness in a statement following the incident, saying, "On a night that was meant for celebration and togetherness, we are faced instead with a tragedy that defies understanding. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with those who were injured."
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