The police in New Orleans said that the suspect was killed after the exchange of gunfire with police and a failed bid to escape. New Year’s fun turned into horror as a car crashed into a crowd of people celebrating in New Orleans in the US, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens.
The attack occurred at about 3:15 am (09:15 GMT) on Wednesday near Canal and Bourbon streets, a busy pedestrian thoroughfare in the heart of New Orleans’s historic French Quarter.
The suspect drove a white Ford F-150 electric pickup into a group of pedestrians, then exited and was killed in a shootout with police – two of whom were wounded. Two homemade bombs were found and neutralised, the FBI said.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters. Driving at “very high speed” and in a “very intentional” manner, “he was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick said.
Officials said a search was underway, with FBI agent Alethea Duncan warning that authorities “do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible”. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said: “We’re hunting some bad people down.”
The FBI said it was conducting search warrants in New Orleans “and other states”. Earlier, the bureau’s field office in Houston said it was conducting activity “related” to the New Orleans attack.
