International
-Sathish Raman
A
driver
caused
chaos
in
New
Orleans’
French
Quarter
on
New
Year’s
Day,
killing
10
people
by
driving
a
pickup
truck
into
a
crowd.
The
incident,
which
occurred
on
Bourbon
Street,
also
left
over
30
people
injured.
The
FBI
is
treating
it
as
a
terrorist
act.
The
driver
was
shot
dead
by
police
after
a
confrontation
around
3:15
am.
image
New
Orleans
Police
Superintendent
Anne
Kirkpatrick
stated
that
the
driver’s
actions
were
deliberate,
aiming
to
harm
as
many
people
as
possible.
“It
was
very
intentional
behaviour.
This
man
was
trying
to
run
over
as
many
people
as
he
could,” Kirkpatrick
said.
After
the
vehicle
stopped,
the
driver
opened
fire
on
officers,
who
then
shot
and
killed
him.
Investigation
and
Security
Concerns
FBI
Assistant
Special
Agent
in
Charge
Alethea
Duncan
confirmed
that
authorities
are
investigating
at
least
one
suspected
improvised
explosive
device
at
the
scene.
Law
enforcement
officials
have
been
searching
the
French
Quarter
for
any
potential
explosive
devices.
They
recovered
a
handgun
and
an
AR-style
rifle
after
the
shootout.
The
attack
took
place
in
an
area
bustling
with
New
Year’s
Eve
revellers.
Two
police
officers
were
injured
during
the
incident
and
are
in
stable
condition.
In
addition
to
them,
33
others
sustained
injuries
from
the
vehicle
attack.
Witness
Accounts
and
Reactions
Zion
Parsons,
who
witnessed
the
attack,
described
hearing
a
“commotion” and
seeing
a
vehicle
heading
towards
him
and
his
friends.
He
managed
to
dodge
it,
but
one
of
his
friends
was
hit.
“I
yell
her
name,
and
I
turn
my
head,
and
her
leg
is
twisted
and
contorted
above
and
around
her
back.
And
there
was
just
blood,”
Parsons
said.
Derick
Fleming,
a
hotel
bellhop,
recounted
arriving
at
work
to
find
chaos
everywhere.
“There
were
a
couple
of
bodies
on
the
ground
covered
up.
Police
were
looking
for
bombs
in
garbage
cans,” he
told
reporters.
Community
Response
and
Ongoing
Events
The
area
is
a
popular
destination
for
New
Year’s
celebrations.
Despite
the
tragedy,
life
continued
elsewhere
in
the
city
known
for
its
vibrant
culture.
People
gathered
in
cafes
and
bars
near
the
crime
scene,
some
discussing
football
while
others
talked
about
the
attack.
Tens
of
thousands
of
college
football
fans
were
in
town
for
the
Sugar
Bowl
playoff
quarterfinal
between
Georgia
and
Notre
Dame
at
the
nearby
Superdome.
Both
schools
expressed
condolences
and
are
checking
if
any
students
or
staff
were
affected.
National
Reactions
President
Joe
Biden
expressed
“anger
and
frustration” over
the
attack
but
withheld
further
comments
pending
more
information.
“My
heart
goes
out
to
the
victims
and
their
families
who
were
simply
trying
to
celebrate
the
holiday,”
Biden
stated.
“There
is
no
justification
for
violence
of
any
kind,
and
we
will
not
tolerate
any
attack
on
any
of
our
nation’s
communities.”
This
incident
adds
to
a
worrying
trend
of
vehicles
being
used
as
weapons
in
mass
attacks.
Previous
incidents
include
a
Saudi
doctor
driving
into
a
Christmas
market
in
Germany
last
month,
killing
five
people,
and
an
SUV
plowing
through
a
Christmas
parade
in
Milwaukee
in
2021,
resulting
in
six
deaths.
Bourbon
Street
had
barriers
installed
since
2017
to
prevent
such
attacks;
however,
ongoing
construction
left
gaps
that
made
this
area
vulnerable.
Work
began
in
November
with
plans
to
finish
before
February’s
Super
Bowl.
