Ten people are dead and at least 35 injured after a man drove into a large crowd in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year’s Day, authorities have said.
Here’s what we know so far.
When did the incident happen?
At 03:15 on New Year’s day, a man drove a pickup truck at speed into a large crowd in Bourbon Street.
Police described the act as “very intentional”, adding that the man was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did”.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could”, said New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
The driver fired at officers from his vehicle, injuring two officers. They are in a stable condition, authorities said.
In a later update, the FBI confirmed the driver was dead and that the incident was being investigated as an “act of terrorism”.
Who was injured?
Police said 10 people were killed and at least 35 injured. None of them have been identified yet.
The injured have been sent to several area hospitals for treatment.
Police said it appeared that the victims were mainly locals.
Where did it happen?
The man drove into a large crowd on Bourbon Street in the southern US city of New Orleans in Louisiana.
Bourbon Street is a well-known nightlife and tourist hotspot that is filled with bars, clubs with live music and restaurants.
It is within New Orleans’ French Quarter, a lively area that attracts tourists and locals celebrating the new year.
What was found at the scene?
Special agent Althea Duncan of the the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed at a morning news conference that the agency had taken over the investigation.
Ms Duncan said a possible explosive device had been found at the scene and authorities were working to find out if it was “viable”.
She stressed that the public should stay away from the area “until we can figure out what is going on”.
Police asked that the public stay clear of Bourbon Street between Canal and St Ann streets.
What did witnesses say?
A witness who was on Bourbon Street at the time of the incident has just shared some of the harrowing scenes.
Whit Davis, from Shreveport, Louisiana, told the BBC: “We had been on and around Bourbon Street since the beginning of the evening.
“When we were in the bar we didn’t hear shooting or crashes because the music was so loud,” Mr Davis said.
Police held Mr Davis and a group of people in the bar, and when they were allowed to leave he said they “were walking past dead and injured bodies all over the street”.
[BBC]