Texas father, son among victims in France truck attack

Heather Copeland, who tweeted she is the niece of Sean Copeland and the cousin of his 11-year-old son, Brodie, posted this photo late Thursday. Heather Copeland, who tweeted she is the niece of Sean Copeland and the cousin of his 11-year-old son, Brodie, posted this photo late Thursday. Photo: Twitter.com/H Copeland Photo: Twitter.com/H Copeland Image 1 of / 68 Caption Close Texas father, son among victims in France truck attack 1 / 68 Back to Gallery

Relatives say a father and son from the Austin area are among the victims of the deadly truck attack in Nice.

Family friend Jess Davis says 51-year-old Sean Copeland and his 11-year-old son Brodie were killed Thursday evening in what French authorities have described as a terror attack.

Davis released a statement Friday on behalf of the Copeland family, saying they are "heartbroken and in shock."

State Department spokesman John Kirby said earlier that two Americans were killed, but didn't identify them citing privacy.

Davis says the Copelands, from Lakeway, were on a European vacation that began in Spain. They were celebrating Bastille Day in Nice.

The statement says Sean Copeland is "a wonderful husband and father" and Brodie is "an amazing son and brother who lit up our lives."

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Brodie reportedly played for Hill Country Baseball. The club mourned the youngster on Facebook Thursday:

"Nobody deserves this type of fate, especially not such a wonderful family. ... Rest in peace, Brodie and Sean, you will be remembered by many."

A relative identified as Haley Copeland confirmed the deaths in a tweet, saying her uncle Sean and cousin Brodie were on vacation with three other family members celebrating a birthday.

"Losing a loved one is hard no matter the circumstances but losing a loved one in such a tragic and unexpected way is unbearable. Prayers are much appreciated," Haley Copeland posted.

Another family member also posted on Twitter:

The truck attack came as revelers gathered to watch fireworks in honor of Bastille Day, often called the French "Fourth of July."

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Police killed the driver of the truck in what witnesses said was a hail of bullets, the Associated Press says. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said officers were trying to determine the driver's identity, the AP reported.

"We are in a war with terrorists who want to strike us at any price and in a very violent way," Cazeneuve said early Friday, according to the Associated Press.

In November 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks targeted Paris, killing 130 people in the French capital.