Campus Alert Archive
UC Berkeley

One Cal Student Killed, Three Injured in Nice Bastille Day Truck Attack During Study Abroad Program

CAcivil unrestadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On July 14, 2016, a terrorist drove a truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, killing 86 people. Nicolas Leslie, 20, a UC Berkeley junior, was among those killed; three other Berkeley students sustained broken bones. All four were attending the month-long Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Europe summer program. UC Berkeley's campus-wide message confirmed the injured students were safe and that the campus was working to locate Leslie, who remained missing for two days.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
3
Institution
University of California, Berkeley
Public R1 · CA
UC Berkeley Emergency Notifications
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction515 chars
We are aware of the devastating terrorist attack that occurred last night in Nice, France. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and are working urgently to confirm the safety of our students in the area. Three UC Berkeley students have been injured in the attack and are receiving medical attention. Their conditions are not life-threatening. We continue to search for one additional student, Nicolas Leslie, who has not yet been located. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this horrific act of violence.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from Berkeley News coverage confirming VP Koshland and Dean Greenwell sent a campuswide message reporting three injuries and one missing student; exact wording not published verbatim.
The three injured students were Vladyslav Kostiuk (broken leg), Daryus Medora (broken leg), and Diane Huang (broken foot); all were in the month-long Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Europe program.
Nicolas Leslie, a junior in the College of Natural Resources, was attending the European Innovation Academy summer program when the truck struck the crowd.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction499 chars
We are heartbroken to share that Nicolas Leslie, a junior in the College of Natural Resources, has been confirmed dead in the Nice terrorist attack. Nicolas was identified by the FBI, which was notified by its French counterparts. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew him. A campus representative of the Study Abroad program is on the ground in Nice supporting the students who remain there. Counseling services are available through University Health Services.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

UC Berkeley's death notification came via a chain: French authorities notified the FBI, which then informed campus officials -- illustrating the indirect communication path for overseas fatalities involving US study-abroad students.
The campus sent a representative from the Study Abroad office to Nice to support the roughly 80 remaining Berkeley students in France following the attack.
14 of approximately 80 Berkeley students then in France chose to return home early after the attack, while the rest remained.
Context

Background

The July 14, 2016 Nice truck attack occurred during the annual Bastille Day fireworks display on the Promenade des Anglais, killing 86 people when Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a 19-tonne truck into the crowd. UC Berkeley had roughly 80 students in France at the time, many enrolled in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Europe summer program run through the European Innovation Academy. Nicolas Leslie, 20, a College of Natural Resources junior planning to enter the Haas School of Business in the fall, was one of 85 students from his cohort attending the program; he was among those killed. Three other Berkeley students sustained broken legs or a broken foot and were treated at local hospitals. Berkeley News confirmed that Leslie's death was reported to the campus by the FBI, which had been notified by French authorities -- a common indirect channel when a US student dies abroad. This case is notable as one of the few study-abroad incidents in the archive in which a US student was killed in an overseas terrorist attack.
Outcome
Nicolas Leslie confirmed dead by FBI notification July 17; three other Berkeley students received medical care and remained in Nice; 14 of roughly 80 Berkeley students in France chose to return home early.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    UC Berkeley students among those injured in Nice terrorist attack - Berkeley News
    news.berkeley.edu
  2. Official
    Berkeley student confirmed dead in France terror attack - Berkeley News
    news.berkeley.edu
  3. Official
    CNR student missing after Nice terrorist attack - UC Berkeley Rausser College
    nature.berkeley.edu
  4. Source
    2016 Nice attack - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
study-abroadfranceterrorisminternationaladvisoryfatalitybastille-daynice2016
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion