New Orleans attack: What we know so far
Ten people are dead and at least 35 injured after a man drove into a large crowd in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year’s Day, authorities have said.
Here’s what we know so far.
When did the incident happen?
At 0315 on New Year’s Day, a man drove a pickup truck at high speed into a large crowd in Bourbon Street in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Police described the act as “very intentional”, adding that the man was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did”.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could”, said New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
The driver fired at officers from his vehicle, injuring two officers. They are in a stable condition, authorities said.
In a later update, the FBI confirmed the driver was dead and that the incident was being investigated as an “act of terrorism”.
Who was injured?
Police said 10 people were killed and at least 35 injured. None of them have been identified yet.
The injured have been sent to several area hospitals for treatment.
Police said it appeared that the victims were mainly locals from the city of New Orleans in Louisiana.
What do we know about the driver?
The suspect accused of driving a truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, according to three federal officials who spoke to BBC’s US partner, CBS News.
The FBI confirmed earlier today the incident is being treated as an “act of terrorism” and that the suspect was killed after the attack.
Police said earlier that he had fired at officers when they responded to the scene.
The truck, a white Ford F-150 Lightning, with a heavily damaged front was geolocated by the BBC Verify team in front of Rick’s Cabaret on Bourbon Street, near the Conti Street intersection.
Officials are currently investigating whether the vehicle belonged to the suspect, according to the BBC’s US news partner CBS.
It appears the suspect may not have owned the truck himself, CBS says, and it may have been stolen, rented or borrowed.
Investigators are analysing potential explosive devices recovered at or near the scene.
A long gun with a “suppressive device” on it – acting as a silencer – was recovered from the scene, CBS reported.
CBS sources also reported that the attacker was killed by police gunfire.
Where did it happen?
Bourbon Street is a well-known nightlife and tourist hotspot that is filled with restaurants, bars and clubs with live music.
It is within New Orleans’ French Quarter, a lively area that attracts tourists and locals, especially to celebrate the new year.
It was established by the French in 1718, and the original grid of streets designed back then is the heart of tourism in the city.
Every year, upwards of a million people flock to its famous Mardi Gras carnival and parade in the spring, famous for the strings of colourful beads worn by party-goers.
The Sugar Bowl, between the US college football teams for Notre Dame and the University of Georgia, is expected to go on as scheduled Wednesday night at the city’s Caesars Superdome, according to CBS.
What was found at the scene?
Special agent Althea Duncan of the the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed at a morning news conference that the agency had taken over the investigation.
Ms Duncan said a possible explosive device had been found at the scene and authorities were working to find out if it was “viable”.
She stressed that the public should stay away from the area “until we can figure out what is going on”.
Police asked that the public stay clear of Bourbon Street between Canal and St Ann streets.
What did witnesses say?
A witness who was on Bourbon Street at the time of the incident has just shared some of the harrowing scenes.
Whit Davis, from Shreveport, Louisiana, told the BBC: “We had been on and around Bourbon Street since the beginning of the evening.
“When we were in the bar we didn’t hear shooting or crashes because the music was so loud,” Mr Davis said.
Police held Mr Davis and a group of people in the bar, and when they were allowed to leave he said they “were walking past dead and injured bodies all over the street”.
Was the attack terrorism?
Officials are investigating whether the suspect was connected to or inspired by a foreign terror organisation, according to BBC’s US news partner CBS.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI is investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism”.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana “will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and will deploy every available resource to conduct this investigation”, he added.
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