At least 10 people were killed and more than 30 others were injured in New Orleans early Wednesday after a man rammed his pickup truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations and then shot at police officers as he crashed, officials said.
Authorities said the suspect, who is now dead, deliberately drove a Ford pickup truck into a large group of partygoers on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. in what the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism.
The FBI identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas.
Authorities found an ISIS flag, weapons and a possible improvised explosive device in the truck, which the FBI said appears to have been rented. The agency said it was working to determine the suspect’s potential associations and ties with terrorist organizations.
“This man tried to run over as many people as he could,” New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said at a news conference. “He was determined to cause the carnage and damage he caused.”
Mass murder in New Orleans
The suspect drove around barricades erected to stop traffic because of his “deliberate mentality,” Kirkpatrick said.
After crashing his truck, the suspect exited the vehicle and shot two police officers, who Kirkpatrick and the FBI said are in stable condition.
Police returned fire and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, the FBI said.
Jimmy Cothran, who witnessed the massacre from the balcony of a nightclub, said that within seconds he saw several bodies lying in the street, including many that were “terribly disfigured” and one marred by tire tracks.
“It was unbelievable,” he told NBC News’ Hallie Jackson. “It just kept going.”
Federal investigators and local law enforcement in New Orleans are trying to determine whether the suspect used a long gun and whether he may have fired into the crowd while running over people, according to three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city of New Orleans had been “struck by a terrorist attack.”
The FBI said it was investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. Improvised explosive devices were found, the FBI said, although the agency said it was working to confirm whether they were viable explosives.
President Biden has been briefed on the attack, according to a White House official.
The dozens of injured people were treated at local hospitals, as were the two injured officers, Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick said it was unclear how many victims were locals, but said preliminary information “appears to be the majority are locals versus tourists.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called the incident a “heinous act of violence” in a post on X and said he was praying for the victims.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement about I pray for the victims and their families and will ensure they receive justice for this heinous act.”
The historic Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter, is a popular tourist area full of bars and restaurants and was expected to be busy on New Year’s Eve.
Footage taken by onlookers and uploaded to social media showed a huge police presence on Bourbon Street and Canal Street.
Police said on Tuesday they expected the city to be busy as locals and visitors ring in the new year. The New Orleans Police Department said it would be 100% staffed and deploy an additional 300 officers to help keep the peace.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com