At least ten people were killed and more than 35 injured when a powerful car deliberately drove into the crowd gathered this Wednesday on the most famous street in the city of New Orleans (Louisiana) to mark New Year’s Eve While a press conference took place at the beginning of the afternoon French time, a second speech is promised at the end of the day to take stock of the progress of the investigation.
What happened?
At 3:15 a.m. this Wednesday, January 1, a white pick-up van rushed into the crowd walking on Bourbon Street, in the historic center of New Orleans (Louisiana). Tourists, residents, bar and nightclub employees, there were many in the area known for its nightlife atmosphere still celebrating New Year’s Eve. Many establishments had postponed their closing time to 5 a.m. for the festivities. The crowd was all the more important as the largest city in the state – and the most French-speaking in the country – is hosting the final of the Sugar Bowl, the university football championship, this Wednesday afternoon.
As the police rushed to meet the driver, he fired in the direction of the police “after the vehicle was crashed,” New Orleans police chief Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick suggested. during a brief press conference held around 6:40 a.m. local time (1:40 p.m. French time). The suspect fired at the police and injured two officers, who “are in stable condition”.
Special Agent Alethea Duncan, No. 2 in the FBI office in New Orleans, said homemade explosives had been found. “We don’t know yet whether they were functional or not,” she said, asking residents to stay away from a wide area to allow the investigation to progress safely. Later in the night, the underside of the pick-up, immobilized at 333 Bourbon Street between the Royal Sonesta hotel and the Prohibition bar, was inspected by a bomb squad robot and then a basket was installed above the tray of the vehicle, to observe it without contaminating any possible evidence. An impassable security perimeter of eight blocks around the scene of the attack was set up by law enforcement to work.
-Who is the author of the facts?
Neither the city’s mayor Latoya Cantrell nor the local police chief has given any information about this man. Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has just confirmed that the driver was not intoxicated. According to several American media, the man is presumed dead. The reasons for his action are also unknown. His determination, however, is beyond doubt: “this man tried to crush as many people as possible”, “he went around our barricades, he was determined to cause carnage”, affirmed the police chief.
What is the outcome of the attack?
Ten people were killed, and at least thirty-five were injured, including the two police officers. During the press conference, Superintendent Kirpatrick said authorities do not yet know how many are New Orleans residents and how many are tourists but “it appears the majority are locals.”
