10 dead as man crashes truck into crowd celebrating New Year in US
- Last updated: January 1, 2025 | 17:06
At least 10 people were killed and 30 injured Wednesday when a vehicle plowed overnight into a New year's crowd in the heart of the thriving New Orleans tourist district, authorities in the southern US city said.
A driver crashed his truck into a crowd at high speed in New Orleans' French Quarter in the wee hours of New Year's Day then opened fire, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 35, city officials and police said.
"This man was trying to run over as many people as he could," Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said at a televised press conference on Wednesday. "He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did."
The incident at 3:15 a.m. occurred at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets during New Year's celebrations, the city said in a statement. Bourbon Street is a historic tourist destination in the city's French Quarter, known for attracting large crowds with its music and bars.
"The 8th District is currently working a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle that drove into a large crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street. There are 30 injured patients... and 10 fatalities," NOLA Ready, the New Orleans emergency preparedness program, said in a statement.
Emergency authorities said the incident took place at approximately 3:15 am (0915 GMT).
At that hour, the area would been packed with revellers celebrating New Year in the French Quarter district, renowned for its bars, restaurants and jazz history.
CBS News television reported witnesses saying a truck rammed into the crowd before its driver jumped out and started exchanging gunshots with police.
A white truck crashed through a barricade "at a high rate of speed," witnesses Jim and Nicole Mowrer told CBS.
"Once it was past us, we did hear gunfire, saw police running that direction," Nicole Mowrer said.
"Once the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of — several people who had been hit, (we) wanted to see what we could do to help.
Authorities gave no immediate indication as to whether the car ramming was deliberate or any other indication as to the cause.
New Orleans is one of the most heavily visited destinations in the United States and the incident came shortly before the city hosts a major football game, known as the Sugar Bowl, featuring teams from the University of Georgia and Notre Dame.
Policing was heavy over the New Year's, according to the city, as authorities braced for the crowds.
The city police department had announced staffing at "100 percent, with an additional 300 officers assisting from partner law enforcement agencies," including on horseback and using unmarked units.
The iconic French Quarter listed special deals for New Year's, including LGBTQ parties and drag cabaret nearby where the incident took place.
Agence France-Presse / Reuters