Suspected of mass car accident dies in shooting in New Orleans, police sources reveal to the AP

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The suspect who drove a vehicle at high speed into a crowd of celebrants in New Orleans on New Year’s Day was killed after a shootout with police, law enforcement sources told The Associates Press.

The agents were not authorized to publicly disclose details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ten people were killed and 30 injured after the suspect plowed a high-speed vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians in the bustling French Quarter district of New Orleans at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday on Bourbon Street.

The area is known worldwide as one of the biggest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties, and crowds in the city were expected to swell ahead of the College Football Playoff game at the Sugar Bowl at the nearby Superdome later Wednesday.

The FBI reported in a statement that it is leading an investigation “with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.” At a news conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and the city’s police chief said the act was clearly intentional.

Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said authorities are investigating the discovery of at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene of the crash.

Whit Davis, 22, told CNN that he was leaving a nightclub at the time of the attack.

“Everyone started screaming and running to the back, we stayed there for a while and then the situation calmed down, but they wouldn’t let us leave,” Davis said. “When they finally let us leave the club, the police showed us where to walk and told us to leave the area quickly. I saw some lifeless bodies that they couldn’t even cover and many people receiving first aid.”

Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said her officers will work to ensure security at the Sugar Bowl, indicating that the game will take place as scheduled.

He added that the suspect was “determined to commit a massacre and create the damage he did.”

“It was a very intentional incident. “This guy was trying to run over as many people as he could,” Kirkpatrick said.

Two police officers who were shot after the driver exited his vehicle in stable condition, the police commissioner said.

NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness department, said the injured were taken to five local hospitals.

The White House indicated that President Joe Biden has been informed. Attorney General Merrick Garland was also briefed on the attack, according to the Justice Department.