10 killed, 26 injured as car rams into crowd during New Year’s Eve celebration

A tragic incident unfolded in New Orleans during New Year’s celebrations when a vehicle rammed into a crowd, leaving 10 people dead and dozens injured.  

The incident occurred around 3:15 a.m. during the celebrations leading up to the Sugar Bowl college football game, which attracted about 10,000 attendees at the Superdome.  

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick reported that the suspect drove at a very high speed and exchanged gunfire with police after crashing the vehicle. The suspect was killed in the shootout. 

Kirkpatrick emphasized that the act was intentional and not related to driving under the influence (DUI).  

“It was very intentional behavior, not a DUI situation.” Kirkpatrick said, adding that the FBI is now leading the investigation.  

At the scene, two police officers sustained gunshot wounds but are in stable condition. Meanwhile, 26 people were transported to various hospitals in the area for injuries caused by the vehicle.  

The assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, Alethea Duncan, revealed that authorities are investigating a suspected improvised explosive device found at the scene to determine its viability.  

Although Duncan stated the incident was not being treated as a terrorist attack. However, later on Wednesday morning, the FBI released a statement confirming that they are investigating the event as a potential act of terrorism.