Ten individuals have been confirmed dead, and numerous others are injured after a truck drove into a crowd of New Year's celebrants in New Orleans on Wednesday, January 1.
According to a statement by city officials, the 8th District is dealing with a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle that struck a large group of people on Canal and Bourbon Street.
Thirty injured individuals have been transported by New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS), with 10 fatalities reported.
Public safety authorities are on the scene, and updates will be provided as they come in.
A New Orleans Police Department representative informed PEOPLE that the truck travelled down Bourbon Street at high speed before the driver was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police around 3:15 a.m. local time.
To stay informed on the latest crime updates, sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking news, ongoing trial coverage, and details on intriguing unsolved cases.
CBS News reported, citing a New Orleans Police Department spokesperson, that initial reports indicate a car may have driven into a group of people as they were leaving the bustling Bourbon Street area in the French Quarter. CBS News journalist Kati Weis added that a truck intentionally drove into the crowd before the driver exited the vehicle and exchanged shots with police.
Police have indicated that the act seemed intentional, as mentioned by ABC News.
New Orleans Police Department responded to multiple casualties on Bourbon Street after a vehicle struck a crowd on January 1. During a press conference on Wednesday, January 1, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the incident as "a terrorist attack."
“We do know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack,” Cantrell stated, as reported by Sky News. She requested prayers for those who lost their lives and urged the public to avoid an eight-block radius around Bourbon Street.
Mayor Cantrell also mentioned that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Jeff Landry, the Governor of Louisiana, issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter), expressing, "A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon [his wife] and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on the scene.
I strongly advise everyone in the vicinity to steer clear of the location.
A street sign for Bourbon Street in the French Quarter is shown in New Orleans in October 2022. CBS News reported based on accounts from Jim and Nicole Mowrer, who traveled from Iowa to New Orleans for New Year's Day. They witnessed a white truck crashing through a barricade "at a high rate of speed" on Bourbon Street. Shortly after watching the New Year's Day fireworks, they heard "gunfire."
"Once the gunfire ceased, we emerged onto the street and encountered several injured individuals. We wanted to see how we could assist," the couple said, according to the outlet.
Kevin Garcia, 22, recounted to CNN, "I only saw a truck colliding with everyone on the left side of the Bourbon sidewalk." He mentioned hearing gunshots and seeing "a body flying towards me."
Whit Davis from Shreveport, Louisiana, explained that he was exiting a nightclub on Bourbon Street when the incident occurred. "Everyone began shouting, screaming, and running to the back. We essentially went into lockdown for a while until things settled down, but they wouldn't let us leave," said Davis, 22.
He recalled seeing "a few deceased bodies" and "people receiving first aid" after police allowed them to exit the nightclub.