New Orleans police said they were dealing with a mass casualty incident after a car reportedly plowed into people on Wednesday. Unconfirmed reports said 10 people were killed while another 30 were injured in the incident.
A pickup truck drove into a crowd at high speed on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter, CBS News reported. The driver got out and started firing a weapon, with police returning fire, CBS News said, citing witnesses.
The driver also shot and wounded two police officers, police said. "This man, this perpetrator, he fired on our officers from his vehicle when he crashed his vehicle. Two of our officers have been shot. They are stable," Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told a news conference after the attack.
Kirkpatrick said the man tried to "run over as many people as he possibly could."
The driver "was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," she added.
The status and whereabouts of the driver were not immediately known. Although the incident was not being treated as a terror attack, Kirkpatrick said the truck had been driven at "very high speed" and in a "very intentional" manner. Operational command of the investigation will be taken by the FBI, she added.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry described the incident as a "horrific act of violence."
In the wee hours of the year's first day the area would have been packed with revelers celebrating in the French Quarter, a district renowned for its bars, restaurants and jazz history.
CBS News television reported witnesses saying the truck rammed into the crowd before its driver jumped out and started exchanging gunshots with police. A white truck crashed through a barricade "at a high rate of speed," witnesses Jim and Nicole Mowrer told CBS. "Once it was past us, we did hear gunfire, saw police running that direction," Nicole Mowrer said. "Once the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of – several people who had been hit, (we) wanted to see what we could do to help."
New Orleans is one of the most heavily visited destinations in the United States and the incident came shortly before the city hosts a major football game, known as the Sugar Bowl, featuring teams from the University of Georgia and Notre Dame.
Policing was heavy over the New Year's, according to the city, as authorities braced for big crowds. The city police department had announced staffing at "100%, with an additional 300 officers assisting from partner law enforcement agencies," including on horseback and using unmarked units.
The iconic French Quarter listed special deals for New Year's, including LGBTQ parties and a drag cabaret nearby where the incident took place.
