Vehicle plows into crowd in the US: Deaths and injuries reported

It has been reported that a vehicle plowed into a crowd on the popular Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with fears of a high number of casualties. A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police stated, "According to initial information, a car struck a group of people early on the morning of the first day of the new year," while police confirmed that reports of casualties had been received.

DRIVER OPENED FIRE

Eyewitnesses speaking to the press said that a vehicle plowed into the crowd early on New Year's morning, after which the driver opened fire and police returned fire.

US media provided notable details regarding the attack in New Orleans. New information that has emerged about the attack is as follows:

It was stated that the attacker was carrying an ISIS flag in his truck and was wearing military clothing. The 42-year-old attacker was identified as US citizen Şemseddin Cabbar and it was announced that he was killed by police.

STATEMENT FROM THE FBI

The first statements regarding the attack came from the FBI. The FBI announced that they found two bombs after the attack and neutralized them.

The FBI also stated, "The perpetrator is not solely responsible for the attack; we are investigating his associates."

A state of emergency was declared in New Orleans following the attack.

EYEWITNESSES DESCRIBE THE MOMENTS OF TERROR

22-year-old Kevin Garcia, in a statement to CNN immediately after the incident, said, "I saw a truck hit people on the sidewalk on the left side. A body flew toward me," and added that he also heard gunshots.

Another eyewitness, 22-year-old Whit Davis from Shreveport, Louisiana, stated that the incident occurred while he was leaving a nightclub on Bourbon Street.

Davis included the following in his statement:

"Everyone started shouting and screaming, running toward the back. We were in a lockdown for a short time. Then things calmed down a bit, but they wouldn't let us leave. When they finally let us out of the club, the police pointed out where we should walk and told us to leave the area quickly. I saw a few bodies that couldn't be covered up."

TOLD TO LEAVE THE AREA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Davis added that the police told people on the scene to turn off their phones and leave the area as soon as possible.

According to a report by CNN reporter Jessie Yeung, 10 people lost their lives and 30 people were injured in the incident.

The following statements were included in the announcement made by the state police:

"The 8th District is currently working on a mass casualty incident where a vehicle plowed into a crowd at Canal and Bourbon Streets. 30 injured individuals have been transported to hospitals by NOEMS (New Orleans Emergency Medical Services) and 10 people have lost their lives. Public safety teams are responding to the scene. Updates will be shared as they become available."

News Source: 12punto