Driver kills 10, injures 30 in suspected terror attack on New Year’s Day in New Orleans
Driver opened fire on officers after ramming crowds on popular Bourbon Street before being shot dead; ‘He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did’

NEW ORLEANS — A driver in a pickup truck who officials said was “hell-bent on carnage” sped through a crowd of pedestrians in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter district, killing 10 and injuring 30 revelers in a suspected terror attack early on New Year’s Day.
The FBI said it was investigating the deadly truck-ramming attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street as an act of terrorism and confirmed the suspected assailant was dead.
“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,” the FBI said in a 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.”
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. along Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties, and with crowds in the city ballooning in anticipation for the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game at the nearby Superdome later in the day.
At a news conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell also described the killings as a “terrorist attack” and the city’s police chief said the act was clearly intentional.
The Mayor of New Orleans is now calling this a terrorist attack that has left at least 10 people dead and over 30 injured when the terrorist drove his truck through a New Years crowd. pic.twitter.com/Sfq7BgCtuW
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) January 1, 2025
Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said police officers would work to ensure safety at the Sugar Bowl, indicating that the game would go on as scheduled.
“He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick said. “It was very intentional behavior. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could.”
Two police officers who were shot after the driver emerged from the truck are in stable condition, she said.
Whit Davis, 22, told CNN he was leaving a nightclub at the time of the attack.
“Everyone started yelling and screaming and running to the back, and then we basically went into lockdown for a little bit and then it calmed down but they wouldn’t let us leave,” Davis said.
“When they finally let us out of the club, police waved us where to walk and were telling us to get out of the area fast. I saw a few dead bodies they couldn’t even cover up and tons of people receiving first aid.”

NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness department, said the injured had been taken to five local hospitals.
The White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed.