Officials and police in the US city of New Orleans announced that at least ten people were killed, and 35 others were injured after a truck driver ran over a crowd of people and then shot at them while celebrating the new year in the city’s French Quarter on Wednesday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was investigating the attack as an “act of terrorism”.
The death of the attacker
The mayor of New Orleans said that the car ramming incident in which a large number of victims died on the first day of the new year is a “terrorist attack”. The media later reported that the attacker was killed.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the incident was being investigated as a “terrorist act”.
“Then there was a confrontation between the person and local law enforcement, and he was killed. The FBI is the main investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism, “he said.
Earlier, CBS News, citing witnesses, reported that a truck rammed a crowd at high speed, then the driver got off and started shooting, and the police responded with gunfire, according to the Reuters news agency.
The police announced that two American policemen were shot dead in the car ramming in New Orleans, according to Agence France-Presse.
Transportation of the wounded
The Emergency Preparedness Agency of the city of New Orleans (Nola Reddy) recommended people to stay away from the area. The agency said that the wounded were taken to five local hospitals, according to The “Associated Press”.
The incident occurred near the end of New Year’s celebrations in the city of New Orleans, and hours before the start of the quarterfinal match in the American College Football League, which will be held at the “Caesars Super Dome” stadium in the city, where thousands of people are expected to attend.
Previous cases
New Orleans has seen shootings and vehicle ramming of crowds at previous celebrations. In November 2024, local media reported that two people were killed and 10 injured in two separate shootings during a city celebration attended by thousands.
In February 2017, a pickup truck driven by a man, who police said was apparently very drunk, hit a crowd of spectators watching the main show of a festival in New Orleans, injuring more than 20 people.
