A driver crashed a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year's Day early Wednesday in New Orleans and opened fire, killing 10 people and injuring more than 35 others in an attack the FBI said it is investigating as an act of terrorism.

The suspect was killed following a shootout with police, law enforcement officials said.

"This man was trying to run over as many people as he could," New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday at a televised press conference. "He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did."

The attack occurred at 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday in New Orleans' lively French Quarter district at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets. A historic tourist destination filled with bars and music, the area also is known for its large New Year's Eve celebrations.

After the vehicle crashed, the driver got out of the car and opened fire on responding officers, police said. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect, according to police. Two officers were wounded but are in stable condition, police said.

The FBI identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas.

"An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle and the FBI is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations," the FBI, which is leading the investigation, said in a statement.

The suspect served in the U.S. Army for years but had been out of the military for some time, officials said.

Investigators found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, and other potential explosive devices were found in the French Quarter, the FBI said. It also said the vehicle appeared to have been rented.

Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent for the FBI in New Orleans, said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference that investigators did not believe that the suspect "was solely responsible."

More than 300 officers were on duty at the time of the incident, police said.

At a news conference earlier on Wednesday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the killings a "terrorist attack." And the FBI said it is investigating the incident as "an act of terrorism."

U.S. President Joe Biden said he has been continually briefed on the attack.

"My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities," Biden said in a statement on the social media platform X.

The White House said it has been in touch with Cantrell, the mayor, to offer support.

"The FBI is already on the ground supporting local law enforcement in the investigation and the President will continue to be briefed throughout the day," the White House said in a statement.

The Justice Department said Attorney General Merrick Garland also was briefed on the attack.

President-elect Donald Trump condemned the attack in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

"Our hearts are with all the innocent victims and their loved ones," Trump said. "The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!"

Video taken by an onlooker at the scene of the attack shows at least two twisted bodies lying in the street, with one of them in what appears to be a pool of blood. A bystander is seen kneeling over one of the bodies.

Those injured in the attack were taken to five hospitals, according to NOLA Ready, the city's emergency preparedness department.

"As we search for a motive, remember there is no making sense of evil," New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas.

In a statement on the social media platform X, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry urged people to stay away from the area where the attack occurred, calling the incident "a horrific act of violence."

Crowds were also out partying in New Orleans because the city was set to host college football's Sugar Bowl game Wednesday night.

Although officials initially indicated the football game would go ahead as scheduled, officials later confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the game would be postponed until Thursday night.

Additionally, New Orleans is set to host the NFL's Super Bowl on February 9.

New Orleans has experienced violence surrounding celebrations in the past.

In November 2024, two people were killed and 10 others injured in two separate shootings along a New Orleans parade route and a celebration attended by thousands of people, according to local media.

And in February 2017, more than 20 people were wounded when a man who police said appeared to be intoxicated rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of onlookers watching the main Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.

Some information for this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.

The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

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