A vehicle slammed into a crowd in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day, killing 10 people and injuring 35 others. The attack occurred around 3.15 am on Bourbon Street, in the city’s French Quarter, a major New Year’s Eve destination.
The driver, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar from Texas, was killed in a shootout with police after he opened fire on responding officers. According to A Financial Review, two officers were injured but are in stable condition.
The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan declared, “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible.” Investigators also found a handgun, an AR-style rifle and potential explosives in Jabbar’s vehicle and in the French Quarter.
New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick called the attack “intentional” and described Jabbar as “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
The incident unfolded as crowds gathered for the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game between Georgia and Notre Dame at the nearby Superdome. Despite the tragedy, local authorities emphasised that security would be stepped up for the game.
Source: A Financial Review.
