10 people killed, more than 30 injured after vehicle rams crowd in ...
Here's the latest:
- Biden says FBI investigating as "act of terrorism."
- Attacker targeted crowd celebrating new year in city's French Quarter.
- FBI identifies truck driver as 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas.
- Sugar Bowl at Superdome, currently on lockdown, postponed 24 hours.
At least 10 people were killed and 35 injured after the driver of a pickup truck struck a crowd on historic Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday, officials said.
After driving at high speed into the crowd of pedestrians, the suspect was killed in a firefight with police, the FBI said on Facebook.
"The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism," the federal agency said.
The FBI has identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas. A flag representing the Islamic State group was found in the truck and the FBI is trying to determine if he was associated with any terrorist organizations, the agency said in a statement.
The ramming took place around 3:15 a.m. local time at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets as a large crowd gathered to celebrate the new year in the city's French Quarter, the city said in a statement.
At a news conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the killings as a "terrorist attack" and the city's police superintendent said the act was clearly intentional.
Police Supt. Anne Kirkpatrick said a man in the truck drove down Bourbon Street "at a very fast pace," and was "trying to run over as many people as he possibly could. It was not a DUI situation."
"He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and damage that he did," she told reporters.
A majority of the victims were "locals versus tourists," she said.
Two police officers who were shot after the driver emerged from the truck are in stable condition, Kirkpatrick said.
The FBI said a potential improvised explosive device was located in the vehicle and other potential explosive devices were also located in the French Quarter. Law enforcement also recovered a handgun and AR-style rifle, an official told The Associated Press.
NOLA Ready, the city's emergency preparedness agency, said the injured were taken to five local hospitals.
'Everyone started yelling'
Whit Davis, 22, told CNN he was leaving a nightclub at the time of the attack.
"Everyone started yelling and screaming and running to the back, and then we basically went into lockdown for a little bit and then it calmed down, but they wouldn't let us leave," Davis said.
Man who drove into New Orleans crowd fired on officers, police superintendent says
Duration 2:52
"When they finally let us out of the club, police waved us where to walk and were telling us to get out of the area fast. I saw a few dead bodies they couldn't even cover up and tons of people receiving first aid," he said.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he has been continually briefed throughout the morning on what occurred.
"I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury," Biden said in a statement.
Former FBI agent explains how agency will probe deadly New Orleans car attack
"I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack "horrifying," in a post on X on Wednesday afternoon expressing condolences for the victims.
"My heart is with the loved ones of the victims, those fighting to recover, and everyone impacted by this senseless act of violence," he wrote.
The incident came hours before the kickoff of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, a college football quarter-final held in the city's Caesars Superdome, with thousands expected to be in attendance.
Kirkpatrick initially indicated that the game would go on as scheduled, saying police officers would work to ensure safety.
The Superdome has since been put on lockdown for security sweeps, and people with offices in the Superdome were told not to come into work until further notice.
At an afternoon news conference, the Sugar Bowl, which was scheduled to kick off at 7:45 p.m. local time Wednesday, has been delayed 24 hours.
New Orleans vehicle incident ‘an attack on our country and our freedom’: city council member
"We don't want to shut down our economy. We don't want to shut down these events that we celebrate every year," New Orleans city council member Oliver Thomas told CBC News.
"But we're going to have to do something different, especially given the world we're in today," he said.
"How do we keep people safe? How do we still enjoy ourselves. Those things seem to be threatened by some very evil people who are hell-bent on destruction."