Liberia: 2 Killed in Vehicle Attack on Crowd at UP Headquarters

Several persons are reported dead and another many more injured after an unidentified vehicle came from the direction of Snapper Hill, Broad Street with heavy speed and ran through a crowd assembled in front of the Unity Party headquarters. The incident took place between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m. on November 20.

The victims were part of a much larger crowd that had gathered at the party headquarters on Monday evening to celebrate the final announcement of elections results by the National Elections Commission (NEC) in favor of the Party and its presidential ticket, Joseph N. Boakai and Jeremiah K. Koung.

Some of the wounded were reportedly taken to West Point clinic; others to Marwah Clinic, John F. Kennedy Medical Center and other medical centers for treatment.

According to eyewitnesses, as the crowd were singing and dancing in the street in front of UP headquarters, the vehicle, identified as a silver/gray Hyundai, approached with headlights on. A private security officer at the scene told journalists that he signaled the vehicle to slow down, which it did and the driver turned off the headlights. Suddenly, the security officer said, the driver put the headlights back on and rammed through the crowd with heavy speed, down the hill toward Randall Street, but stopped near the B.W. Harris Episcopal School.

When the driver saw that people were coming toward the vehicle, the driver pulled off again with speed. The perpetrator stopped the vehicle at the corner of Broad and Randall Streets, where the vehicle was set ablaze and the driver absconded on a motorbike that was waiting for him there.

Police later arrived on the scene.

At first, people felt that the incident was a result of brake failure. However, when they saw that the vehicle stopped midway down the hill, near the B.W. Harris school, and then took off again and stopped on Randall Street, it became apparent to eyewitnesses that the incident may well have been premeditated.

Authorities of the JFK Medical Center in Sinkor said they received 20 persons, two of whom have died with three others critically injured and one person transferred to the intensive care unit. Injuries suffered by victims include severe trauma such as bone fractures, skull fractures, brain damage, lung/chest trauma, and lacerations.

JFK Medical Center has asked Family members coming to check on their loved ones to show up with some form of identification of the relatives who may be patients related to the incident.

President Weah in his concession speech called for reconciliation. However, just hours after his opponent, Joseph N. Boakai, was announced by the NEC as winner of the election and President-Elect, more than a dozen innocent Liberians have been killed at the in front of the UP headquarters.

Up to the publication of this story, there has been no official statement by law enforcement or by any other government authority. According to Unity Party officials, police officers on the scene told them they are treating the incident as an accident, contrary to concerns by UP officials that the incident has the prospects of a terrorist attack.

Meanwhile, Spoon Communications Network reported early Tuesday morning that a suspect has been apprehended — albeit not by police. The suspect, identified as Lawrence K. Williams, 31, allegedly drove the vehicle through the crowd celebrating at the Unity Party headquarters on Broad Street on Monday, Nov 21, 2023.

President-Elect Boakai is expected to speak on the issue shortly.

This is a developing story.