The fiery two-vehicle collision in Rochester killed two other people and injured at least nine early on New Year’s Day, officials said.
Rochester Police Chief David Smith identified the suspect as 35-year-old Michael Avery, and said law enforcement has been in contact with his family.
“The suspect passed away last night,” Smith told reporters. “He has not been scientifically identified, but we are in the process of confirming his identity.”
The FBI was investigating the crash a possible terror incident after canisters of gasoline were found at the scene of the crash, but authorities leading the probe say they have not found any link to terrorism so far.
“I can confirm our Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved, but that’s not abnormal in a case like this. 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,” said Jeremy Bell, with the FBI’s Rochester bureau, at a news conference Tuesday morning.
Authorities have not identified a motive, but Rochester Police said in a statement that mental illness may have played a role.
“The conversations we have had with his family so far leads us to believe Avery may have been suffering from possible undiagnosed mental health issues,” police said in a statement, adding that they have not found evidence that anyone else was involved.
“Additionally, we have not uncovered any information leading us to believe the actions of Michael Avery on New Years Eve were motivated by any form of political or social biases,” the police statement said, adding, “It must be noted this is an ongoing investigation and additional information may be developed.”
Police carried out a search warrant later on New Year’s Day in a hotel room that Avery was renting in Rochester. They said at Tuesday briefing that there was not any suicide note found there. A search was also underway on the suspect’s personal vehicle, “but nothing thus far has been recovered that provides any additional insight into the why of this occurred,” police said.
Rochester Police shared images of Avery on Tuesday and asked witnesses or anyone with information to contact the department’s major crimes unit.
The crash happened shortly before 1 a.m. Monday as officers were directing traffic after a concert let out at the Kodak Center theater complex, police said in a statement. A Ford Expedition struck a Mitsubishi Outlander, sending both vehicles “through a group of pedestrians that were in the crosswalk,” the statement said.
pll/rgh/dfm
