Truck Driver Who Killed 10 'Hellbent on Creating Carnage' - Top Points

A deadly attack took place early Wednesday in New Orleans’ French Quarter when a driver deliberately crashed a pickup truck into a crowd of people celebrating New Year's on Bourbon Street.

Ten people were killed, and dozens more were injured. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver drove around barricades and sped down the street with the clear intent to cause harm, according to a report by CBS News.

The driver later died, but the cause of death wasn’t immediately clear. Kirkpatrick stated that the driver seemed determined to run over as many people as possible, and added that two police officers were shot but are stable.

"He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," Kirkpatrick said.

While New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell suggested this could be a "terrorist attack," the FBI’s Alethea Duncan did not confirm this. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called it a "horrific act of violence" and expressed his thoughts for the victims and first responders.

Chaos Strikes Celebrations

The area was packed with people celebrating the New Year when the attack happened. Witnesses said the truck was speeding through the crowd, and then the driver started shooting from the vehicle. Police returned fire.

Thirty people were rushed to nearby hospitals, and 10 were confirmed dead. The FBI is now handling the investigation, and President Biden has been briefed. Authorities also found possible explosives nearby, though it's unclear if they are linked to the attack.

Witnesses like Jim and Nicole Mowrer from Iowa described hearing a crash followed by gunshots. They tried to help the injured, but sadly, many of the victims had already died. They also reported not seeing any gunshot wounds on the victims they saw, who appeared to have been hit by the truck.

Despite the tragedy, authorities have said the Sugar Bowl football game at the Superdome later that day will go ahead, with extra security measures in place.