NEW ORLEANS: A 42 12 months outdated Texas man crashed a pickup truck right into a crowd celebrating New Yr’s Day in New Orleans’ French Quarter after which opened fireplace on police, killing 10 folks and injuring 35, in an early morning assault the FBI mentioned was a possible act of terrorism.
The suspect, recognized by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen from Texas, died on the scene within the shootout with police, officers mentioned.
“An ISIS flag was positioned within the car and the FBI is working to find out the topic’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the lead investigator, mentioned in an announcement.
Investigators discovered weapons and a possible explosive machine within the car, and different potential explosive gadgets had been discovered within the French Quarter, the FBI mentioned. It mentioned the car appeared to have been rented.
One metropolis chief described the assailant as being in full army gear.
“This man was attempting to run over as many individuals as he may,” Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick mentioned at a televised press convention on Wednesday. “He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the harm that he did.”
The incident occurred at 3.15 am (5.15pm, Singapore time) close to the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic vacationer vacation spot within the metropolis’s French Quarter identified for attracting giant crowds with its music and bars.
Kirkpatrick mentioned the driving force, who swerved round barricades, shot and wounded two law enforcement officials from the car after it crashed. The officers had been in secure situation, she added.
