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A car crashed into a gathering on New Orleans' renowned Canal and Bourbon Street in the early hours of the new year, January 1, killing 10 people and injuring 35 more. As per BBC’s report from the same day, in an online statement, the City of New Orleans said that the injured people were immediately sent to the nearby hospitals.
According to NOLA Ready, the city's disaster preparedness organization, the event happened in the French Quarter, a famous destination for tourists, at around 03:15 local time (09:15 GMT). This morning's horrific attack in New Orleans is being investigated by the FBI as an "act of terrorism" as they confirm the death of the suspect.
In the videos that are making the rounds on social media, several individuals are seen on the ground, gunfire can be heard in the distance, and others can be seen frantically leaving the scene. As onlookers watched in horror, images showed lifeless victims lying in a pool of blood on the highways.
Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden expressed their opinion on the tragic incident of New Orleans
The event occurred as New Orleans' New Year's festivities were coming to a finish and only hours before the All-State Bowl, a college football quarterfinal that would be played in the city's Caesars Superdome and draw thousands of spectators, was scheduled to begin.
According to a CBS report, the victims were celebrating the New Year when a white truck struck them at high speed. Then, the driver allegedly exited and started shooting. Following that, the police fired back. People were told by Nola Ready, the city's disaster preparedness department, to avoid the area. It stated that five nearby hospitals had received the injured.
The same BBC report said that allegedly, according to the witnesses, the driver of the vehicle purposefully drove into the gathering, then got out and started shooting. Disaster personnel, including Nola Ready, were promptly seen on the scene.
The driver, according to the police, was "hell-bent on creating the carnage he did." The same outlet said that the FBI had previously stated during a press conference that an improvised explosive device had reportedly been discovered at the scene and that investigators were evaluating its feasibility.
The "horrific act" in New Orleans was denounced by the governor of Louisiana. In a post on X, Governor Jeff Landry expressed his prayers for all the victims and first responders there.
Additionally, as per WVTM, Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans provided preliminary details on the attack. Cantrell stated that the incident is still being investigated.
“We do know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack.”
Furthermore, as per a CBS report from the same day, Joe Biden also expressed his opinion on the same in a written statement and praised the local law enforcement's courageous and prompt action in averting even more fatalities and injuries. He added that he has instructed his staff to ensure all resources are accessible while authorities try to determine the cause of the problem.
He continued:
"My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”
On the other hand, Donald Trump also expressed his opinions about the incident on his Truth Social. In a post, the president-elect implied that the unnamed suspect is not American, an allegation that has not been verified by law enforcement. He further said:
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true.”
He continued:
“The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department.”
At the time of writing, no arrests have been made by the authorities.
