Man Who Drove Car Into New Orleans Crowd ‘Hell Bent’ on ‘Carnage’: Officials

The man who drove a vehicle onto a busy Bourbon Street shot at police officers after killing 10 and wounding dozens of others, police said Wednesday.

New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said the suspect was “determined to cause the carnage and damage he caused.”

The suspect died after exchanging gunfire with officers the FBI.

The incident happened around 3:15 a.m. CT, as New Year’s celebrations were winding down and hours before the Sugar Bowl college football game, which tens of thousands of people are expected to attend in the Superdome. Kirkpatrick said the suspect was driving “at a very fast pace” and shot at law enforcement officers after crashing his vehicle.

“It was very intentional behavior,” Kirkpatrick said, noting it was “not a DUI situation.” She also noted that the FBI is taking over the investigation.

Two officers were shot and are in stable condition, Kirkpatrick said. At least 26 people were taken to several area hospitals after being injured by the vehicle.

Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials were investigating a suspected improvised explosive device found to see if it was viable. Although Duncan initially said the incident was not a terrorist attack, the… The FBI released a statement later Wednesday morning, saying the agency and others are working “to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”

At the news conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) called the incident a “terrorist attack” and confirmed that she had been in contact with the White House and Governor Jeff Landry (R) about the investigation.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident and called Cantrell on Wednesday morning to provide “full federal support,” according to a White House pool report.

Officials, including Landry, encouraged people to avoid the area from Canal Street to St. Ann Street.