Terrorist Truck Attack in Stockholm

[Yazata]

Almost lost in news about the Syria cruise missile attacks here in America is news that a man hijacked a large beer truck in Stockholm and drove it into a department store, hitting many pedestrians near the store. Four reported dead at this time and roughly a dozen injured, some seriously. (A witness described a woman crying "My legs, my legs" in English, while her feet hung loosely.) Reports of gunfire, but that might not turn out to be accurate. Blood on the streets. The Swedish Prime Minister says the attack appears to be terrorism.

The hoodie-clad attacker escaped, but reportedly there has been an arrest in a northern Stockholm suburb that may be him.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/07/europe/stockholm-truck-crash/

http://nordic.businessinsider.com/r...ral-stockholm---reportedly-three-dead-2017-4/

 

[C C]

"Lost in the news" seems to have been the case. If it wasn't entirely due to events elsewhere hogging the attention, then one might speculate whether or not "terrorism by vehicle" was becoming a politically boring attention-getter (news-wise). Compared to use of firearms and explosives. Even far-end extremists in green and overprotectionist factions would probably only get a slight, euphoric buzz from radical policies that limited personally owned transport to bicycles, scooters, electrical carts, tuk-tuks, etc.

Commercially owned trucks and buses, and limousines / privately-owned automobiles for elite and wealthy echelons (that could pay or circumvent the expensive permission fees) would still be available for the pathologically gifted to hijack or steal. (High-profile public figures would be vulnerable if having to take mass-transit conveyances or having to ride in a rickshaw.) Plus all those small, sometimes self-powered vehicles congesting the streets would be as much a prize for a rampaging, maniac-driven mechanism on wheels as the pedestrians and standing-around crowds of people.