At Least 10 Dead In What New Orleans Officials Are Calling A ‘Terrorist Attack’

At least 10 people are dead and dozens more wounded after a currently unidentified suspect rammed a truck through New Years Eve celebrants along the iconic Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, has classified the incident as a “terrorist attack.”

The FBI is currently investigating after a man driving a white pickup truck intentionally slammed into a crowd in the early morning hours of New Years Day. Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, told reporters that at least one improvised explosive device was recovered at the scene.

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In a separate statement, the bureau confirmed that the suspect engaged with local police officers after crashing the vehicle and is deceased. “This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others,” reads the statement. “The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”

In a joint press conference, Mayor Contrell told reporters that the incident has been classified as a “terrorist attack.” This was almost immediately disputed by the FBI, who said terrorism had been ruled out. “First of all, we do know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack. It’s all still under investigation. You’ll hear more after me. However, I have been in direct contact with the White House, with Governor Landry, and of course a unified command who is present here,” Contrell said.

“What I’m asking at this time are prayers for those who have lost their lives in the city of New Orleans due to this tragedy,” she added.

As of this report, the death toll stands at 10 while at least 35 additional people have been injured, many of them critically.

Despite initial denials from FBI agents on the scene, Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism. “The FBI is investigating this matter as an act of terrorism. The FBI, the ATF, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and will deploy every available resource to conduct this investigation,” Garland said in a statement.

The suspect has not yet been identified and their motives remain unclear.

UPDATE: Truck Used In New Orleans Terrorist Attacked Crossed US-Mexico Border