A 42-year-old Texas man rammed a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year’s Eve in New Orleans’ French Quarter, then opened fire on police, killing at least 10 people and wounding 35 others, during a attack early in the morning, according to the FBI. a potential act of terrorism.
The suspect, identified by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen originally from Texas, died at the scene during the shootout with police, officials said.
“An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle and the FBI is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the lead investigator, said in a statement. press release.
Investigators found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, and other potential explosive devices were discovered in the French Quarter, the FBI said. He said the vehicle appeared to have been rented.
A city leader described the attacker as being in full military gear.
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter told ABC News the death toll could be as high as 15, but that detail was not immediately confirmed by law enforcement.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as possible,” Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said in a televised news conference Wednesday. “He was determined to create the carnage and damage he caused.”
The incident occurred at 3:15 a.m. (0915 GMT) near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets, a historic tourist destination in the city’s French Quarter known for drawing large crowds with its music and bars.
Kirkpatrick said the driver, who drove around the barricades, shot and injured two officers in the vehicle after his crash. The officers were in stable condition, she added.
“We know the attacker was killed,” said New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas. “As we search for motive, remember that there is no meaning to evil.”
