'Hell-bent on carnage': 10 dead and 35 hurt in New Orleans terror attack after driver slams into crowd and opens fire
1 January 2025, 11:20 | Updated: 2 January 2025, 15:42
At least ten people have died and 35 more have been injured in a terror attack in the US city of New Orleans, as a man drove a car into a New Year's crowd before opening fire.
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Two police officers were among those who were shot in the attack, which took place place near the popular Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter of the Louisiana city, at around 3.15 am local time (9.15 am UK time).
New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the attack was "terror" in a press conference, and the FBI later said they were investigating the attack as a terrorist incident.
A senior police officer said the attack was "very intentional" and the perpetrator was "hell-bent" on creating "carnage". Some 300 police officers were at the scene during the attack.
Two improvised explosive devices were found at the scene, the FBI agent told reporters, although it is unclear if they are viable yet.
The attacker died after shooting at police, the FBI later confirmed.
Read more: Triple shooting in London leaves woman dead and two men injured as murder probe launched
Eyewitnesses who were on Bourbon Street at the time of the attack told of their hair-raising near miss.
NPR reporter Drew Hawkins, who spoke to them, told LBC's Shelagh Fogarty: “The way they described it is they were walking down Bourbon Street, it was just after 3 in the morning, and they heard what sounded like crashing sounds behind them.
"They turn around and a white pickup truck speeding down the roads around the barricades and they actually managed to jump out of the way into an alcove - just in time for the truck to zoom by and miss them."
The city's emergency preparedness body said earlier that staff were "currently working a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle that drove into a large crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street.
"There are 30 injured patients that have been transported by [emergency services] and 10 fatalities.
"Public safety partners are responding on scene."
Officials also warned people to stay away from the area where the incident took place.
"There has been a mass casualty incident on Canal and Bourbon Street," officials said. "Get yourself away from the area.
Videos reportedly taken from the scene that are circulating on social media show multiple people on the ground.
Gunfire can be heard in the background, with people seen running from the scene.
Large crowds were expected in the southern US city for New Year's celebrations and for a highly anticipated college football game.
Local media reported that the street had been shut down as police investigate.
Louisiana governor Jeff Landry said he was "praying for all the victims and first responders on scene".
He added: "A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning.
"Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area."
Eyewitness Nicole Mowrer said: "We were pretty, pretty close to where it started.
She added: "Once it was past us, we did hear gunfire, saw police running that direction.
"Once the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of — several people who had been hit, [we] wanted to see what we could do to help."
