A man drove a pick-up into the crowd on the night of Tuesday December 31 to Wednesday January 1 in New Orleans, killing ten people and injuring at least thirty in the city’s Old French Quarter. reports the local daily The Times-Picayune.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said it was a “terrorist attack”, while New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick ruled out the hypothesis of a drunk driver.
The driver, who went around the barricades to drive into the crowd, died following a shootout with police officers, reports the New York Timeswhich cites anonymous testimonies from law enforcement.
“After the vehicle stopped, the suspect opened fire on the officers who returned fire”declared the police, cited by the Washington Post. “His death was pronounced on the spot. No additional information on the suspect is currently available.” Two police officers were injured.
“He wanted to crush as many people as possible”
The attack occurred on Bourbon Street, a historic thoroughfare in New Orleans, around 3:15 a.m. “This man wanted to crush as many people as possible”explained Anne Kirkpatrick.
According to Kirkpatrick, the investigation was handed over to the FBI, whose representative explained that an explosive device had been discovered and that investigators were working to determine whether it was functional.
-According to the sources of New York Timesthe investigation concerns “on an alleged terrorist act”although an FBI official said earlier in the press conference that it was not a terrorist act. According to the Washington Post, the FBI later confirmed in a statement that it was indeed investigating a possible “terrorist act”.
New Year’s Eve festivities attract “a large and noisy crowd” in the French Quarter of New Orleans, recalls the New York Times.
The city also hosts the 1is January a prestigious American college football game, the Sugar Bowl. It was to oppose the teams of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia at the Superdome stadium, many of whose supporters had made the trip.
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