Truck plows into New Year’s Eve crowd in New Orleans, killing at least 10 News in pictures

A deadly car-shooting attack in New Orleans has brought chaos and mourning to New Year’s celebrations in the Louisiana city, with authorities investigating the incident as “terrorism.”

At least 10 people were killed when a Ford pickup truck plowed into an early morning crowd on Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter, one of the city’s most touristy areas in the United States.

35 other people were injured in Wednesday’s attack, with authorities immediately ruling that it was not an accident.

The pickup truck eventually crashed, and the driver fired at law enforcement while attempting to flee. Two officers were shot and the suspect was killed in the exchange of fire.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) later identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen from the neighboring state of Texas.

At an afternoon press conference, Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan of the FBI’s New Orleans branch said that Jabbar was not considered “solely responsible” for the attack and appealed to the public for more information.

Investigators revealed that they recovered an explosive device in his vehicle as well as a flag affiliated with the armed group ISIL (ISIS).

The bloodshed on Bourbon Street prompted condolences from US leaders including outgoing President Joe Biden and his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, who is scheduled to take office on January 20.

“I offer my condolences to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holidays,” Biden wrote in a statement. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attacks on any community in our country.”

Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, New Orleans is the centerpiece of Cajun culture in America, which blends French, African, and indigenous influences.

The city’s French Quarter is a beacon for tourists looking to enjoy New Orleans-style jazz, drinking and entertainment. The city brings in billions in tourism revenue every year.

The crash into the car remains under investigation, with the FBI leading the investigation. No motive has been released yet.

But New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick insisted the attack was “very deliberate”.

“This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil,” he said at an afternoon press conference. “And when we face evil, we have a choice.”

“I promise you, as the police chief of this city, this city has been on fire before. But fire purifies. “Fire makes things stronger.”