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Driver rams New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, killing at least 15
STORY: At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured after a man crashed his pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year’s Day in New Orleans’ French Quarter.The driver then opened fire on police and died in a shootout.The FBI identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas.Officials said he may have been acting in concert with others.Louisiana U.S. Senator John Kennedy:”For those people who don’t believe in objective evil, all you have to do is look at what happened in our city early this morning.”The incident occurred at 3:15 am (0915 GMT) at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic tourist destination.One eyewitness said she heard the rev of an engine, a loud impact, then screams. “And debris, just metal, the sound of crunching metal, and bodies, um….[appears emotional]The FBI said an ISIS flag was found in the vehicle, prompting an investigation into possible links to terrorist organizations. Investigators also found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, and other potential explosive devices were found in the French Quarter. The suspect, said to be in full military gear, swerved around barricades, then shot and wounded two police officers after crashing the vehicle. The officers were in stable condition.New Orleans was set to host college football’s Sugar Bowl Wednesday night. The game was postponed for 24 hours. The city will also be the site of the NFL Super Bowl on Feb. 9.In response to vehicle attacks on pedestrian malls around the world, New Orleans was in the process of removing and replacing the steel barriers known as bollards that restrict vehicle traffic in the Bourbon Street pedestrian zone.
