MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

At least 15 killed in suspected terrorist attack in New Orleans

“We are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism,” the FBI said in a statement

At least 15 people were killed Wednesday in a mass ramming and shooting during New Year's celebrations in New Orleans in the US State of Lousiana at around 3.15 am local time. Some 35 others were reported injured after a US national with Muslim ties ran over them on Bourbon Street and later opened fire on survivors. The perpetrator was eventually gunned down by law enforcement officers, two of whom were wounded but reported stable. The FBI has taken over the investigation.

President Joseph Biden said the United States will not tolerate attacks on its people. “There is no justification for violence of any kind and we will not tolerate any attack against any of our nation's communities,” he said Biden.

The incident took place at a popular tourist and social spot in the city's French Quarter. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry condemned the “horrible act of violence” and invited others to join him and his wife in prayers for those affected. Meanwhile, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a brief press appearance that the “exact details” of the event were still “under investigation” and asked people to stay away from the buildings on the street where the attack took place. The area is one of the biggest destinations for New Year's Eve parties, and crowds were expected to pour later Wednesday for a major college sporting event at the nearby Superdome.

“The perpetrator fired at our officers from the vehicle as he crashed it. Two police officers were shot. They are stable,” Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told a press conference. After driving a pickup truck “down Bourbon Street at a very fast pace,” the attacker “tried to run over as many people as possible” and “was determined to cause the massacre and the damage he caused,” she added. Kirkpatrick also said the game would go on as scheduled.

The FBI was handling the case as a possible terrorist act. “A man drove a vehicle into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing several people and injuring dozens more. The subject exchanged gunfire with police and is now dead. The FBI is leading the investigation and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism,” the Bureau said in a statement.

It also said it found an Islamic State (ISIS) flag in the vehicle driven by the suspect, who was identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a veteran who served 10 years in the U.S. Army. “The FBI is trying to determine the subject's potential ties to terrorist organizations.”

In addition, a suspected improvised explosive device was found at the scene of the incident, the FBI said. “We are working to confirm whether or not this is a viable device,” Special Agent Alethea Duncan explained.