Bloody New Year in the United States: Driver Rams Celebrating Crowd in New Orleans – Attacker Shot Dead by Police
New Orleans — Early on New Year’s Day, a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in the famous French Quarter of New Orleans, killing 10 people. The attacker was shot dead by police after a shootout, authorities reported.
Bloody New Year in the United States: Driver Rams Celebrating Crowd in New Orleans – Attacker Shot Dead by Police
Bloody New Year in the United States: Driver Rams Celebrating Crowd in New Orleans – Attacker Shot Dead by Police
New Orleans — Early on New Year’s Day, a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in the famous French Quarter of New Orleans, killing 10 people. The attacker was shot dead by police after a shootout, authorities reported.
Over 30 people were injured in the attack, and the FBI is investigating it as a terrorist act.
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. local time, in an area near Bourbon Street and Canal Street, which was packed with New Year’s celebrants. FBI officials stated that they were searching the French Quarter for possible explosive devices.
FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan reported that investigators have found several suspected Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at the scene. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell referred to the killings as a "terrorist attack" in a press conference, and the city’s police chief stated that the attack was clearly intentional.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said, "The way the driver carried out the attack was very deliberate. This person was hell-bent on killing as many people as possible."
After the vehicle stopped, the driver exited the truck and opened fire on responding officers. The police returned fire, killing the attacker. Two police officers were wounded, and their condition was reported as stable.
Derick Fleming, the chief bellhop at the nearby Crowne Plaza hotel, told the Associated Press, "When I got to work this morning, there was pandemonium everywhere. There were a couple of bodies on the ground, and police were searching for bombs in the trash cans."
At the time of the attack, tens of thousands of college football fans were in the city to watch the Sugar Bowl playoff game at the nearby Superdome.
The stadium was on lockdown Wednesday morning, but the game was expected to proceed as scheduled.
