A man intentionally drove his pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Sunday morning, killing at least ten people and injuring 35 others, according to New Orleans police. The attacker then opened fire, injuring two police officers. The incident, which took place around 03:15 local time (08:15 GMT), has left the city in shock.
Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick described the attack as deliberate, saying the assailant drove “very fast” along Bourbon Street, aiming to “run as many people as he could” before crashing through barriers. “The man was hell-bent on creating the carnage and damage that he did,” she stated. Authorities have not released details on the attacker’s condition or identity.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as the attack unfolded. One witness, who was in the area at the time, told the BBC that they “walked past dead and injured bodies all over the street” in the aftermath. A reporter from CBS saw several injured people lying on the ground at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal streets. A video verified by BBC showed people scrambling as gunshots were heard, with one person lying motionless on the ground.
Whit Davis, a visitor from Shreveport, Louisiana, recalled being in a bar nearby when the attack began. He said that while he didn’t hear the crash or the gunshots due to loud music, panic spread quickly as people “started running and getting under tables like it was an active shooter drill.” Davis was later shocked to witness the aftermath when police allowed him to leave the bar.
In a separate account, Jim and Nicole Mowrer, visiting from Iowa, described seeing a white truck crash through a barricade at high speed, followed by gunfire. They attempted to assist the wounded but realized that the victims had already died. The Mowrers noted that the victims appeared to have been struck by the truck, not shot.
The FBI is leading the investigation, with Special Agent Althea Duncan confirming that an improvised explosive device (IED) was found at the scene. Authorities are working to determine if the device was viable.
Initial reports indicate that most of the victims were local residents. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry expressed his sorrow, saying he was “praying for all the victims and first responders on scene.” He called the act of violence “horrific” in a social media post.
The investigation into the attack is ongoing, with authorities working to understand the motive behind the incident.
