10 dead, 30 injured after car ploughs into crowd in New Orleans
A driver in a pick-up truck who officials said was “hell-bent on carnage” sped through a crowd of pedestrians in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter in the early hours of New Year’s Day, killing 10 people and injuring 30 others.
The attack happened at around 3.15am local time on Wednesday along Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties.
Law enforcement officials identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, who was killed in a firefight with police.
Black flag
Investigators are working to gather additional information about the 42-year-old’s background and investigating an unfurled black flag that was with the vehicle.
A photo circulated among law enforcement officials showed a bearded Jabbar wearing camouflage next to the truck after he was killed by police.
Crowds in the city were ballooning ahead of the Sugar Bowl college football play-off game at the nearby Superdome later in the day.
At a news conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and the city’s police chief said the act was clearly intentional.
But an assistant FBI agent in charge declared it was “not a terrorist event”.
The news conference ended before authorities could reconcile the two statements.
Explosive device
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials are investigating the discovery of at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene.
Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said of the attacker: “He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.
“It was very intentional behaviour. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could.”
Two police officers who were shot after the driver emerged from the truck are in a stable condition, she added.
She said officers would work to ensure safety at the Sugar Bowl, indicating that the game would go ahead as scheduled.
Officials did not immediately provide an update on the status of the driver, whether there was an ongoing threat to the public, or offer a suspected motive for the incident.
New Orleans’ emergency preparedness department, Nola Ready, said the casualties had been taken to five local hospitals.
President Joe Biden said the FBI is investigating the “horrific incident” as “an act of terrorism” and that he has directed his team to ensure every resource is available as authorities work to “get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible”.
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday,” Mr Biden said in a written statement.
“There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland has also been informed, the Justice Department said.
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Lots of confusion last I read on it being a terror attack, FBI at same presser said not (awaits clarification). The US has many of its own go nuts many times a year but the gop will go ape if its a terror attack where it turns a blind eye to its own doing the killing. 2nd amendment and all that.
How could it not be a terrorist attack? When that far-right nutter drove into a Christmas market in Germany was that not an act of terrorism? Is it not an Act of terrorism when someone walks into a school with a gun and massacres several children?
Its interesting that whenever an act of terrorism occurs the Republicans will demand retaliation like an erosion of civil liberties or try to implement a Muslim ban, yet whenever there is a school shooting all they offer is ‘thoughts and prayers.’