At least 10 people were killed in New Orleans’ Bourbon Street early on Wednesday after a vehicle ramming into a crowd in the popular tourist district during New Year’s celebrations, in an incident the city’s mayor described as a ‘terrorist attack.’
Emergency services attend the scene on Bourbon Street in New Orleans after a vehicle drove into a ... [+]
In an official statement, city authorities said 30 injured people have been transported to nearby hospitals.
In a press conference on Wednesday morning New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city “was impacted by a terrorist attack,” adding that the matter was still under investigation.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said a man drove a pickup truck into the crowd and then fired at officers who responded to the incident, striking two who are in stable condition.
The FBI will take over the “investigative lead” for the incident, according to Kirkpatrick.
An improvised explosive device was found and investigators are trying to determine if it is viable, Alethea Duncan, assistant special agent for the FBI’s New Orleans office said.
Bourbon Street, located in the city’s French Quarters, is a popular tourist spot where a large number of people had gathered for New Year’s celebrations, CNN reported.
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In a statement on X, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote: “A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning...I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”
This is a developing story.