New York: At least 10 people were killed and 30 others injured in the early hours of New Year’s Day at New Orleans, in USA’s Louisiana state, when a pickup truck deliberately drove into a crowd celebrating the onset of 2025.
The incident took place on Bourbon Street in the popular French Quarter area, according to city authorities. After ploughing through the revellers, the driver engaged with local law enforcement personnel before being shot dead.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which has taken over the investigation, labelled it 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 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,” FBI said in a statement.
New Orleans Superintendent of Police Anne Kirkpatrick said the culprit drove around barricades at high speed around 3.15 am when revellers were enjoying themselves after ringing in the new year.
“It was very intentional behaviour… the driver was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” the police chief said.
The pickup driver fired at the crowd and two police officers.
“The 8th District is currently working a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle that drove into a large crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street. There are 30 injured patients that have been transported by NOEMS and 10 fatalities. Public safety partners are responding on scene,” New Orleans’ emergency preparedness campaign NOLA Ready said on its website.
The New Orleans horror comes days after 5 people were killed in a similar car-ramming attack in Germany’s Magdeburg. Over 200 people were injured in the December 20 attack, which was allegedly carried out by a man of Saudi origin.
