A man deliberately drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, killing 10 people and injuring dozens more, officials said. The FBI said the driver died during a shootout with police.
The suspect driving the car in New Orleans Identified as Shamsud Din Jabbartwo federal officials told CBS News.
New Orleans Police Chief Ann Kirkpatrick said the man escaped a barricade and rushed down Bourbon Street before opening fire on officers. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said it was likely a “terrorist attack,” and the FBI said in a press release that it was investigating it as a “terrorist act.”
The FBI said the driver died after exchanging gunfire with responding police. New Orleans police said the suspect was shot by police and died at the scene.
“This man was trying to hit as many people as possible,” Kirkpatrick said, adding, “Two officers were hit by gunfire but are in stable condition.” A long gun was recovered at the scene, police sources told CBS News. According to on-site sources, the long gun was equipped with a ‘suppression device’ that served as a silencer. Two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News that the suspect was wearing body armor. Potentially explosive devices recovered at or near the site are also being analyzed, the source said.
Investigators are looking into whether the suspect was linked to or inspired by a foreign terrorist organization, law enforcement and city officials told CBS News.
A CBS News review of vehicle images showed the truck had a large black flag flying from its rear bumper. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that investigators are looking into whether the flag is an ISIS flag or is linked to another foreign terrorist organization. It remains unclear whether the suspect acted alone or with others. An official familiar with the investigation told CBS News that at this point neither ISIS nor any other foreign terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Gerald Herbert/AP
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called it a “horrible act of violence” and said “he and his wife are praying for all the victims and first responders on the scene.” He urged people to avoid the area.
At the time of the apparent attack, the popular tourist district was packed with Lunar New Year revelers.
“He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage he did,” Kirkpatrick said.
witness CBS News reporter Kati Weis said a white truck struck a group of people at a high rate of speed on Bourbon Street, and the driver began firing a weapon from inside the vehicle and police returned fire. Weis saw several people being treated for injuries near the intersection of Bourbon Street and Canal Street.
The city of New Orleans said in a statement posted online that 30 people were injured and taken to local hospitals, and 10 people were confirmed dead. Kirkpatrick later said at least 35 people were hospitalized.
Duncan said the FBI will lead the investigation. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will work with the FBI and local officials to assist in the investigation. The White House said President Biden was briefed on the attack and that his administration had contacted Cantrell to offer assistance.
Former Vice President Biden said in a statement, “I have directed my administration to ensure that all resources are available to federal, state, and local law enforcement to get to the bottom of the incident as quickly as possible and ensure that there is no longer a terrorist threat.” “Any kind.”
“I offer my condolences to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday,” Biden said. “There is no justification for violence of any kind and we will not tolerate any attacks against any community in our country.”
President-elect Donald Trump also acknowledged the attack in a post on TruthSocial.
“Our hearts are with all the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department,” Trump said.
The Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff game is scheduled for this afternoon at the nearby Superdome. Kirkpatrick said police would work to ensure the safety of the event, indicating the match would go ahead as planned.
Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said he was “devastated by the horrific events this morning” and that event organizers were continuing discussions with authorities.
Jim and Nicole Mowrer were visiting New Orleans from Iowa and witnessed the incident. that the couple told CBS News They were watching the city’s fireworks and enjoying the New Year’s atmosphere in the French Quarter when they heard a loud noise coming from the street. They said they saw a white truck drive through the barricade “at a high rate of speed,” followed by shots being fired and police following. The couple said the truck crashed about a block away from where people were walking.
“After the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, and then we went out into the street and met a lot of people. (We) wanted to know what we could do to help.” Nicole Mowerer said. She said the couple found the victim dead.
Mowrers said the victims they saw were injured in the truck crash, but they did not see any visible gunshot wounds. They said they left the area as emergency responders began arriving.
In a 2017 memo reviewed by CBS News, the city of New Orleans acknowledged the risk of mass casualties in the crowded, tourist-friendly French Quarter. The memo specifically mentions vehicle attacks. Nice, France, London, England and New York City. The city said it plans to build a camera and surveillance program, a centralized command center, more police patrols and infrastructure upgrades to minimize risk. The city was in the process of upgrading the French Quarter’s pedestrian bollard system to modernize and strengthen protection, with work continuing through February.
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Nicole Sganga, Anna Schecter and Robert Legare contributed to this report.
