Bourbon Street, where this devastating New Year Day incident occurred.
Credit: Shutterstock: Aevanstock
The start of a new year should be a time of hope and excitement for the future but sadly, that is not the case for those affected by the incident in New Orleans in the early hours.
While this is a breaking news story, it has now been confirmed that a vehicle drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 10 and injuring another 30. For those who are unfamiliar with New Orleans, this area would have been teeming with people as it is situated in the New Orleans French Quarter and a very popular tourist district. In fact, it has been stated that thousands were out celebrating when this unimaginable incident occurred.
New Year Tragedy: Witness reports seeing driver get out and start shooting
It has been reported that this all happened at 3.15am New Orleans time and that the vehicle appeared to drive into pedestrians. As of writing the area has been cordoned off, and emergency services are attending the scene. Witnesses have turned to social media to report seeing “a pick-up truck smash into partygoers in Bourbon Street, New Orleans, at around 3.15am today.”
One witness reported to CBS News that the driver, having ploughed into the pedestrians at break-neck speed, then proceeded to get out of the vehicle and start shooting. According to the New York Times, this has now been verified with a statement from Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick of the New Orleans Police Department. She said, “A man in a pickup truck drove intentionally at high speed into a crowd and then opened fire when he was trying to get out of the vehicle, shooting two police officers. He was hellbent on creating the carnage and damage that he did.”
Police have advised that the man responsible was shot and killed.
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