The suspect who allegedly drove into a crowd at a New Year’s celebration on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 30 others, has died after being struck by police gunfire.
Why It Matters
The pickup truck was driven into a crowd gathered at Canal and Bourbon streets at around 3:15 a.m. It is the second attack on people over the holiday season in which a vehicle was used as a weapon. On December 20, a man drove a car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing five people and injuring hundreds more.
In addition to the latest fatalities, at least 35 people were injured, including two New Orleans Police Department officers.
What To Know
The New Orleans Police Department said the suspect opened fire on officers after the vehicle came to a stop. The truck that he was driving was purchased in August, according to records reviewed by Newsweek.
Officers returned fire and the victim was struck, police said in a news release. He was subsequently pronounced dead.
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the male suspect “was trying to run over as many people as he could.” She said the incident was the result of “intentional behavior.”
“Last night we had over 300 officers out here. And because of the intentional mindset of this perpetrator who went around our barricades in order to conduct this, he was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick said.
Alethea Duncan, the special agent in charge for FBI New Orleans, said improvised explosive devices were also found in the area.
The FBI said it is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.