New Orleans Truck Attack: On Wednesday (January 1, 2025), a pickup truck rammed into a crowd of people attending New Year’s celebrations on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 35. The FBI has announced to investigate this attack as a ‘terrorist attack’. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has called it a ‘terrorist attack’, while the city’s police chief has called it a deliberate act.
New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was “extremely stubborn and intent on causing harm to life or property.” The suspect behind the attack was initially identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Deen Jabbar. This attacker has been killed in police action.
Eyewitness statements
British news BBC quoted an eyewitness, Whit Davis, as saying, “Everyone was shocked by this incident. I come to New Orleans often, but I have never seen anything worse than this.” He said, “We were on Bourbon Street since the evening. When we were in the bar, we did not hear any gunfire or any car crash because the music was so loud. Then people started running here and there and tables “Started hiding under it, like it was a shooter drill.”
When what happened, ten big things related to the incident?
1. The FBI issued a statement on social media platform “He had a gunfight with local law enforcement and is now dead. The FBI is the lead investigating agency and we are investigating this with our partners as a terrorist attack.”
2. US President Joe Biden said, “The United States will not tolerate attacks on its people.” He said, “There is no justification for any kind of violence and we will not tolerate attacks on any community in our country.”
3. US President-elect Donald Trump condemned the New Orleans attack and linked it to illegal immigrants, posting on social media, “When I said the criminals that are coming in are much worse than the criminals that are in our country This proved to be true.”
4. According to police, when the truck stopped, the driver came out and fired at the responding officers. The officers also retaliated, killing the driver. Police said that two officers were injured, whose condition is stable. This was in addition to the 33 injured in the truck attack.
5. It can be seen in a video that at least two dead bodies are visible on the road, one of which is lying soaked in blood. A bystander is seen kneeling near a dead body, while some army personnel are seen running nearby.
6. The injured were admitted to at least five hospitals, the New Orleans Emergency Management Department informed. A couple told CBS News they heard a bang from across the street and then saw a white truck speed past the barricade.
7. According to Reuters report, New Orleans was in the process of removing and replacing steel barricades (bollards) blocking vehicular traffic on the Bourbon Street walkway.
8. New Orleans is a major tourist destination and the incident occurred as the city was soon to host a major football game, called the Sugar Bowl, featuring teams from the University of Georgia and Norte Dame.
9. The injured have been admitted to five hospitals, where they are being treated.
10. Investigators are combing the French Quarter for possible explosive devices. Any loophole is being searched so that the motive of this attack can be found.
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