At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured after a terrorist rammed a truck into crowds on the famed Bourbon Street in New Orleans before jumping out and shooting cops — just hours after the city rang in the New Year, according to officials.
“The city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said of the carnage early Wednesday — with the FBI soon confirming it was investigating it as “an act of terrorism.”
The unidentified driver, who police said was “hellbent” on “carnage,” was shot and killed in a gun battle with cops, confirmed the FBI, which was also investigating possibly improvised explosives left at the scene. Two cops shot in the gun battle were listed in stable condition, police said.
Photos from the scene showed a white pickup truck with Texas plates crashed into a crane — with a black object attached to a flag pole at the back.
The mass casualty incident unfolded at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets in the French Quarter neighborhood at around 3:15 a.m. – close to where revelers had gathered to watch the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks and just hours before the highly-anticipated Sugar Bowl college football playoff game, police said.
Ten people were killed and at least 35 others were hospitalized after the male driver intentionally drove through barricades and plowed down the street at a “very fast pace,” according to New Orleans Police chief Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” Kirkpatrick said, adding the driver “was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
The suspect then jumped out of the vehicle and immediately started shooting at cops, injuring at least two officers, she added, noting officers returned fire. Explosives were also found at the scene.
The FBI said investigators were probing the bloodshed as an “act of terrorism.”
“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others,” the bureau said in a statement.
“The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials were currently examining at least one suspected improvised explosive device uncovered at the scene.
It wasn’t immediately confirmed if the device was linked to the driver.
Unverified videos circulating on social media apparently showed scores of bloodied bodies lining the street as gunshots rang out.
Several EMS and coroner vehicles could be seen on the scene in the aftermath.
The injured were all rushed to five nearby hospitals, including University Medical Center, Touro Hospital and East Jefferson General Hospital, officials said. The extent of the injuries of those hospitalized wasn’t immediately known.
“A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement.
“Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”
The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the carnage.
“The FBI is already on the ground supporting local law enforcement in the investigation and the President will continue to be briefed throughout the day,” the White House said in a statement.
The bloodshed unfolded toward the end of New Year’s celebrations and just hours before the kickoff of the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame at the Caesar’s Superdome.
Horrified witnesses have since given harrowing accounts of the “twisted” and “horribly disfigured” bodies they saw in the immediate aftermath.
Jimmy Cothran, who sought cover in a nightclub as the chaos erupted, told NBC News he counted eight bodies sprawled out on the street after the truck tore through.
“Dead right in front of us was someone’s mother, twisted, obviously deceased,” he said.
“One man, deceased, had tire tracks across his back and when someone turned him over he had tire tracks across his stomach and was clearly crushed.”
“A little girl that we had seen dancing as we were walking up the street was as flat as a pillow,” he continued.
“It just kept going. Every eye shot — body, body, body, body. It was unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, Jim and Nicole Mowrer, who were in town from Iowa, told CBS News they had earlier watched the city’s fireworks display before they suddenly heard crashing noises and spotted the truck plowing down the street “at a high rate of speed.”
The couple said they immediately tried to help several victims but realized they were already dead.
“We were pretty, pretty close to where it started,” Nicole said.
“Once it was past us, we did hear gunfire, saw police running that direction,” she continued. “Once the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of — several people who had been hit, [we] wanted to see what we could do to help.”
Another witness, Whit Davis, told CNN he was leaving a nightclub at the time of the attack.
“Everyone started yelling and screaming and running to the back, and then we basically went into lockdown for a little bit and then it calmed down but they wouldn’t let us leave,” Davis said.
“When they finally let us out of the club, police waved us where to walk and were telling us to get out of the area fast. I saw a few dead bodies they couldn’t even cover up and tons of people receiving first aid.”
https://nypost.com/2025/01/01/us-news/new-orleans-french-quarter-driver-rams-car-into-crowd-of-people-on-bourbon-street-killing-at-least-1/
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