In the early hours of New Year’s Day, a horrific act of terrorism unfolded on the renowned Bourbon Street in New Orleans, resulting in at least 10 fatalities and numerous injuries. A man drove a truck into a crowd of revelers before alighting from the vehicle and opening fire on law enforcement officers.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have both confirmed the incident as a terrorist attack. The driver, whose identity remains undisclosed, was killed in a gunfight with the police. The FBI is also probing into potential improvised explosives discovered at the scene. Two officers involved in the gunfight are reported to be in stable condition.
The scene of the incident was marked by a white pickup truck with Texas license plates, crashed into a crane. A suspicious black object was attached to a flag pole at the back of the truck. The attack took place around 3:15 a.m. at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets in the French Quarter, near where crowds had gathered to watch the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.
According to New Orleans Police Chief Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, the male driver deliberately drove through barricades at high speed, aiming to hit as many people as possible. After crashing the vehicle, the suspect began shooting at police officers, injuring at least two. Explosives were also discovered at the scene.
The FBI released a statement confirming the incident as an act of terrorism. The statement detailed that an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing and injuring several people before engaging with local law enforcement and subsequently being killed. The FBI is leading the investigation into this act of terrorism.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, stated that officials were examining at least one suspected improvised explosive device found at the scene. It was not immediately confirmed if the device was linked to the driver.
The injured victims were transported to five nearby hospitals, including University Medical Center, Touro Hospital, and East Jefferson General Hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry urged residents to avoid the area and pray for the victims and first responders. The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident. The attack occurred towards the end of New Year’s celebrations and just hours before the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl. Witnesses described the horrifying scene, recounting the sight of twisted and horribly disfigured bodies in the aftermath of the attack.