by Joseph Weber
A gun-toting driver plowed his pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter and opened fire on officers, killing 10 and injuring at least 35.
Authorities said they also found explosive devices on the truck in what they called an “intentional act.” But the city’s mayor and the FBI differed on whether the event was a terrorist attack.
“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,” Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.
The injured included two officers who were wounded when the driver shot them in an incident that occurred at the famed intersection of Canal and Bourbon Street. Both officers was hospitalized in stable condition.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. Wednesday, just hours before it was to host one of the college football’s biggest games, the Sugar Bowl.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell declared “the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack,” and said police had ruled out a drunken driving incident.
“It was not a DUI situation,” she said. “This was more complex and more serious based on the information we have right now.”
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” the mayor added added.
The FBI, however, disputed the mayor’s assessment. “This is not a terrorist event,” an agent told reporters.
Grisly images posted on social media by New Orleans residents who captured the aftermath include the bullet-ridden vehicle driven by the alleged killer.
DEVELOPING…
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Joseph Weber comes to JusttheNews after covering national politics for Fox News since 2011.
Images “Attack Aftermath” and “Alleged Truck Used by the Driver in the NOLA Attack” by New Orleans residents.
Manchurian Candidate.
The truck came from Mexico, it seems. It’s time for a little heart to heart meeting between the Mexican president and both Biden and Trump. There’s a simple message: You fix this lawless mayhem problem or we will.