SUV driver dressed in full body armor kills 12 injures 35 in Bourbon st in ‘mass casualty incident’ after plowing into New Year’s revelers, getting out of pick up truck and shooting before being killed by police. FBI investigate possible terrorism motive.
At least 12 people are dead, including an alleged gunman and 35 people injured after a white SUV truck plowed into a crowd celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans‘ French Quarter and opened gunfire at revellers.
The driver, described as a white male, rammed into the large group at high speed, then got out and started firing a weapon. Police returned fire, killing the shooter, police said, Wednesday morning just on 3.15 am local time.
Witnesses claim the suspect was ‘wearing full body armor’ and ‘armed with an assault rifle’, according to reports on social media.
Isis terrorist, 42, id as SUV driver who plowed into Bourbon st crowd
Bourbon st SUV driver black flag at back of truck mystery
At least 10 people are dead and 30 left injured after a vehicle plowed into a crowd celebrating New Year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
The driver rammed into the large group at high speed, then got out and started firing a weapon, CBS News said, citing… pic.twitter.com/UAW1vC1uem
— FloridaTropics (@TropicsFlorida) January 1, 2025
Bourbon st mass casualty incident – terrorism related?
Videos shared on social media show multiple casualties on the ground as shots ring out in the background. People were also seen running from the area.
Dozens of police officers responded to what they described as a ‘mass casualty incident’ and a portion of the road was cordoned off. Paramedics, ambulances and vehicles from the coroner’s office were also seen at the scene.
Ambulances transported the wounded to five area hospitals, the city added, as authorities investigate the incident.No information about the suspect has been released and whether the perpetrator acted out with the assistance of others or was a lone attack.
‘This was not a DUI situation,’ NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said. ‘This was intentional.’
Kirkpatrick said that the man who was driving the pickup truck bypassed the barricades along Bourbon and Canal Street at high speeds, attempting to take out as many people in their path as possible. She also said that the driver exited the truck and opened fire at NOPD officers, injuring two who are listed in stable condition.
The suspect died after exchanging gunfire with officers, the official said.
🚨 The aftermath of the New Orleans, Bourbon street French quarter attack
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— 🌸 DigiGal (@DigitalGal_) January 1, 2025
A man, claiming to witness the incident, wrote on X that he saw an SUV ‘speeding’ down the road and ‘running people over’.
Another alleged witness told WLWT that she saw the vehicle strike the crowd and multiple officers open fire at the suspect. She says she started running and only escaped ‘by the grace of god’.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials were currently examining at least one suspected improvised explosive device uncovered at the scene.
It wasn’t immediately confirmed if the device was linked to the driver.
Photos from the scene showed a crashed white pickup truck — with a black flag attached to the back. The flag which was hoisted on a pole appeared to be connected to surveillance equipment. The black flag has since led to intrigue and theories on social media.
In a joint press conference with city officials, the FBI announced they are taking over the investigation. Mayor LaToya Cantrell opened the press conference by calling the incident a ‘terrorist attack’, but representatives from the FBI declined to call it that in the early stages of the investigation.
Bourbon Street, famous for its many bars and clubs, has reportedly been shut down while investigators work the scene. People are advised to stay away from the area.
No known motive was presently known into what authorities are now exploring as a deliberate act of terrorism.
