UPDATE (9:55 a.m. ET): Contradicting earlier public statements, the FBI has confirmed that agents are, in fact, investigating this incident as a terrorist attack. The bureau has still not released any clues to the public about the attacker’s possible motivations.
UPDATE (9:00 a.m. ET): Police are now confirming that the individual believed to be responsible for the attack has been killed. His identity has not yet been confirmed. The FBI has also indicated that the truck driven by the attacker was fitted with improvised explosive devices, which thankfully did not detonate. The FBI is currently investigating whether the devices are viable. The FBI continues to dispute the characterization of this attack as a “terrorist attack.”
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a man plowed a pickup truck into a large crowd of partygoers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, causing terror, killing 10, and sending at least 30 to the hospital with serious injuries. The attacker then reportedly exited the vehicle and began firing a weapon. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell declared the incident a “terrorist attack” in a Wednesday morning briefing; however, the FBI disputed that characterization, saying that the agency has not yet confirmed this.
The attack reportedly occurred around 3:15 a.m. local time at the ntersection of Bourbon Street and Iberville.
In a Wednesday-morning update to the media, New Orleans police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said, “It did involve a man driving a pickup truck down Bourbon Street at a very fast pace, and it was very intentional behavior. This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could. … It was not a DUI situation. This was more complex and more serious based on the information we have right now.”
Kirkpatrick also indicated that the FBI has taken over the investigation into this incident.
Police have not yet released any information regarding the attacker, including whether he is in custody, deceased, or still at large. Witnesses at the scene did tell local television station WWL-TV that they witnessed officers returning fire after the suspect exited the vehicle and began firing into the crowd. New Orleans police did confirm that two officers were injured in the attack, but it was not immediately clear if they were injured by the truck, gunfire, or both. The extent and seriousness of their injuries were also not clear.
This is a developing story and will be updated as events warrant.
Crime
