New Orleans Mass Casualty Incident Leaves 10 Dead; Two Officers Shot

Two police officers are in stable condition after being shot during a mass casualty incident in New Orleans early Wednesday morning. The tragic event has left at least 10 people dead and over 35 others injured so far, according to Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.

At a press briefing, Chief Kirkpatrick detailed how a man driving a pickup truck sped down Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. local time. “The man displayed very intentional behavior and was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” she said.

She confirmed that after the vehicle came to a stop, the suspect fired shots from his vehicle, wounding two police officers. “Both officers are receiving medical care and are in stable condition,” Kirkpatrick added.

While Mayor LaToya Cantrell referred to the incident as a “terrorist attack” and urged people to avoid the area, conflicting reports emerged during the press briefing. Alethea Duncan, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, initially stated that the incident was “not a terrorist attack.” However, the FBI later issued a statement saying the bureau is investigating the incident “as an act of terrorism.”

Duncan mentioned that officials were examining at least one suspected improvised explosive device discovered at the scene. Local television footage showed a law enforcement robot inspecting the underside of the suspect’s vehicle.

The attacker has been reported dead. Authorities are still investigating his motive and any potential connections.

A History of Similar Incidents

New Orleans has experienced previous incidents where vehicles have collided with crowds during parades and celebrations. In November 2024, two separate shootings along a parade route resulted in two deaths and injured ten others, according to local media reports.

In February 2017, over 20 people were injured when a highly intoxicated driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd of spectators during the main Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.

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