A white van spread terror in one of the favorite areas for tourists in New Orleans, the picturesque city in the south of the United States. It was just seconds in which the vehicle crossed a street crowded with locals and tourists celebrating the New Year, in the early hours of January 1st. The violent raid left 10 dead and 35 injured. Only when the van crashed did witnesses see the suspect in the massacre emerge, gun in hand, now under investigation as the perpetrator of a terrorist act.
The accident took place at 3:15 in the morning. Since then, terror was accompanied by confidentiality in the investigation, first led by the New Orleans Police Department and quickly referred to the FBI. That change of hands generated concern. Although the federal agency was cautious, the mayor spoke of a “terrorist attack.” At 11 a.m. local time, almost eight hours after the accident, the FBI finally confirmed that it is investigating a “terrorist act.”
But confidentiality continues to surround the figure of the suspect.
According to reports, it is a man. He was driving a white Ford truck. Strictly speaking, it is a SUV an acronym that in English is used to refer to a sports utility vehicle.
There were so many reservations about the case that during the first long hours it was not known what condition the driver was in.
In the first instance, witnesses reported that, after the truck rammed into the crowd, they heard gunshots and saw the suspect shooting with the Police.
The authorities delayed reporting that the driver He started shooting from inside the car.causing injuries to two police officers who are hospitalized out of danger.
It even took them several hours to give a key piece of information: that the suspect was shot down. The version began to circulate when American media cited police sources in voiceover, but it only became certain around noon.
The driver’s personal information, such as identity, age and nationality, is still unknown. The main hypothesis is that he acted alone, although they are trying to identify possible relationships with people from Texas.
He used a long gun and, according to a version supported by the FBI, he had explosives inside the truck.
According to photographs that circulated on social networks, the truck had a jacket tied to the top of a rear pillar.
Attack in New Orleans: 10 dead and 30 injured
Authorities confirmed that the man evaded security barricades set up to block the entry of cars. But witnesses pointed out that plastic barriers were operational, not the metal devices to which the authorities referred.
The man deliberately drove at full speed on Bourbon Street, from Canal Street to Conti, in the so-called French Quarter. The route unfolds for three blocks in which it charges into the crowd.
“The suspect tried to run over as many people as possible,” said Anne Kirkpatrick, superintendent of the New Orleans Police. “He was determined to cause a massacre and generate the damage he caused,” the official added.
With that key information, the FBI announced that it is investigating the case as a “terrorist act.”