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New Orleans mayor calls incident a ‘terrorist attack’
Mayor Cantrell has described today’s mass casualty incident as a “terrorist attack”.
In addition, it was announced the FBI is now taking over the investigation.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials were investigating the discovery of at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene.
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Attacker "hell bent" on carnage, say police, amid reports suspect now dead
The New Orleans police say the attack on the public in the early hours was clearly intentional.
He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did. It was very intentional behavior. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” said the city Police Commissioner, Anne Kirkpatrick.
Two police officers who were shot after the driver emerged from the truck are in stable condition, she said, reported the Associated Press.
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 in the fatal incident.
But CNN has been reporting, citing unnamed sources, that the suspect has been killed.
The incident occurred in a busy nightlife area of New Orleans’s French Quarter. Police urged people to stay away from the area. “We do not want anyone on Bourbon Street today,” police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in a press conference Wednesday morning, confirming that the FBI is taking over the investigation.
New Orleans mayor calls incident a ‘terrorist attack’
Mayor Cantrell has described today’s mass casualty incident as a “terrorist attack”.
In addition, it was announced the FBI is now taking over the investigation.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials were investigating the discovery of at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene.
We’ve been hearing from the New Orleans mayor, LaToya Cantrell, and the police superintendent, Anne Kirkpatrick, at a press conference.
We’ll bring you the main lines from both and any further details on the incident as soon as we can.
Louisiana governor condemns 'horrific act of violence'
Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana, has also posted on X today in the wake of the incident in Bourbon Street.
We’ve been reporting accounts from eyewitnesses who said the area was filled with New Year party revellers.
“A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning,” Governor Landry said.
“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.”
More details of what happened in Bourbon Street are beginning to emerge.
According to reports on the ground from US network CBS, the white truck crashed into the victims at high speed while they were celebrating the New Year.
The driver, according to witnesses who spoke to CBS, then got out and began firing a weapon. Police then returned fire.
More now from New Orleans, which confirms 30 people have been injured and at least 10 killed.
The casualties have been transported to the following hospitals:
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University medical center
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Touro hospital
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East Jefferson general hospital
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Ochsner Medical Center Jefferson Campus
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Ochsner Baptist Campus
Emergency response team warns people to stay away
Nola Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness team, has described today’s reported crash as a “mass casualty incident”.
Posting on X today, they have warned people to stay away from Canal and Bourbon Street while teams respond on scene.
The nature of injuries and the number of dead are unknown at this time, police have said.
At least 10 reported dead after vehicle driven into crowd
We know that at least 10 people are reported to have been killed after a vehicle drove into a crowd in New Orleans’ French Quarter early on Wednesday.
The incident came toward the end of New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans and hours before the kickoff of the AllState Bowl, a college football quarterfinal held in the city’s Caesars Superdome, with thousands expected to be in attendance.
A further 30 people are said to have been injured in the incident on Bourbon Street.
