A driver crashed his pickup truck into a New Orleans crowd celebrating New Year’s Day and opened fire, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 35, in an attack the FBI said it was investigating as an act of terrorism.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said at a televised press conference on Wednesday. “He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
The incident at 2:15pm PKT (9:15am GMT) occurred at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets during New Year’s celebrations, the city said in a statement. Bourbon Street is a historic tourist destination in the city’s French Quarter, known for attracting large crowds with its music and bars.
Kirkpatrick said the driver fired at police and struck two police officers from the vehicle after it crashed. The officers are in stable condition, she added. The driver died following the shootout with police, officials said.
“We know the perpetrator has been killed,” said New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas. “As we search for a motive, remember there is no making sense of evil.”
There was no immediate word on the driver’s identity.
More than 300 officers were on duty at the time of the incident, police said. The city hosts the Sugar Bowl, a classic American college football game, each New Year’s Day, and will also be the site of the NFL Super Bowl on February 9.
