New Orleans Bourbon Street attack: Everything we know so far as armed driver ploughs into crowd leaving 10 dead
New Orleans Bourbon Street attack: Everything we know so far as armed driver ploughs into crowd leaving 10 dead
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At least 10 people have died and dozens more left injured in a New Year's Day terrorist attack after a car smashed into a crowd of revellers in New Orleans. Stunned eyewitnesses told how an SUV drove into partygoers in Bourbon Street, New Orleans, at around 3.15am (9.15am UK time) before the driver emerged from the vehicle and began firing at police. The suspect has now been confirmed as dying in the shooting.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the incident in the city's popular Bourbon Street area a "terrorist attack". It took place towards the end of New Year's celebrations and hours before the kick off of the Sugar Bowl, a college football quarterfinal held in the city's Superdome, with thousands expected to be in attendance.
The city's emergency preparedness agency, Nola Ready, advised people to stay away from the area. It said the injured had been taken to five local hospitals. An unverified video shared in the aftermath appeared to show a number of injured lying on the ground. The FBI has now taken over the case and here's everything we know so far about the tragic incident.
Eyewitnesses said a pick-up vehicle drove into the crowd on Bourbon Street at high speed, before the driver reportedly got out and started firing a weapon and that has now been confirmed by Chief Anne Kirkpatrick- of New Orleans police, who said that the driver had gone at "high speed" and tried to hit as many people as possible. She described the driver as "hellbent" on causing "carnage".
She stated: "A man drove a pick-up truck down Bourbon Street at a very high speed and it was very intentional behaviour, this man was trying to run over as many people as possible." She added: "I can also say this man, the perpetrator, he fired on our officers from his vehicle, when he crashed his vehicle, two of our officers have been shot, they are stable and we will give you an update on them.".
