The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched a terrorism investigation after a truck crashed into a crowd of people celebrating New Year’s Day in New Orleans on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 35.
The driver, a 42-year-old American military veteran from Texas identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, opened fire after getting out of the rented pick-up truck and was shot dead by police.
The early morning attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter was condemned by many including United States President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump.
“The FBI is investigating this matter as an act of terrorism,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
The FBI said it was working to determine the driver’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations after a flag of terrorist organisation Islamic State, weapons and a potential improvised explosive device (IED) were found in the vehicle.
In a statement the agency said other potential IEDs were also found in the French Quarter and its bomb technicians were trying to determine if they were viable and would work to render them safe.
Biden said the FBI was taking the lead in the investigation of “the horrific incident” and he had directed his team to ensure every resource was available to ensure there was no remaining threat of any kind.
“In the meantime, 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,” Biden said in a statement.
Trump said his administration would fully support the City of New Orleans as it investigated and recovered from this “act of pure evil!”.
“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,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
News reports quoted New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick as telling a press conference that the driver swerved around barricades and shot and wounded two police officers, who were in stable condition.
About 400 police were on duty in the French Quarter at the time of the incident, in a city which will host the Super Bowl on 9 February.
A college football game also to be played in New Orleans, the Sugar Bowl, was postponed from Wednesday for 24 hours.
