New York, January 2 (UITV) – A deadly terrorist attack took place during the New Year celebrations in the US city of New Orleans, in which 10 people were killed and 35 others were injured in this attack. Officials said that the attacker turned his car towards the crowd on the city’s iconic Bourbon Street and fled after trampling people. This attack was described as a “terrorist attack” and it was carried out by an attacker “bent on genocide” who aimed to target a large number of people.
The attack took place in the early morning, when people in New Orleans were immersed in the New Year celebrations. The city’s mayor, Latoya Cantrell, termed this attack as a terrorist attack and said that this incident was an attempt to disturb the peace of the city and endanger the lives of citizens. Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick also considered this attack not only deadly but a well-planned terrorist act. He said that the aim of the attacker was murder and genocide. To accomplish this objective, the attacker drove his white pickup truck into the crowd, causing massive destruction.
When the attacker drove his vehicle into the crowd and then came out and fired at the police, two policemen were injured. The police retaliated and killed the attacker, but by then 10 innocent people had lost their lives as a result of the attack. Apart from this, 35 other people were injured in this attack, who were admitted to the hospital. Officials also said that a suspected country-made bomb was also found near the attacker’s vehicle, which was immediately destroyed by the authorities. The incident happened just hours before the Sugar Bowl game, which is an important college football match and attracts millions of spectators every year. The Sugar Bowl is held on New Year’s Day and during this time there is a huge crowd and an increase in the number of television viewers, which has increased the panic caused by this attack even more.
Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where the attack took place, is one of the places in the US where large-scale New Year celebrations are held. The area is also famous for the Mardi Gras parade, an annual parade attended by thousands of people. During this parade and New Year celebrations, security is tight in the area, but still this type of attack shows that terrorist activities can happen in any situation. The incident also affected New Year celebrations in other areas of the US, although no untoward incident took place in other places.
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The White House was informed about the attack and President Joe Biden expressed deep concern over the incident. Biden, who was in Wilmington at the time, called Mayor LaToya Cantrell regarding the attack and assured full federal assistance. The President said that senior officials of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have informed him about the attack and they will help in investigating the incident. Apart from this, President Biden ensured that all possible help would be given to the victims of this attack and their families.
However, former President Donald Trump had not reacted to this attack till 10 am local time. It was reported from the White House that Trump did not make any public statement after the attack, while Biden took full information about the attack through his officials and promised support to the affected community.
This incident has once again raised concerns about terrorist attacks in America. These attacks took place in the last days of President Biden’s administration, while only three weeks were left for Donald Trump to take office. The time was sensitive as preparations were going on for Trump’s new administration and crowd and security were challenging in the New Year celebrations.
At the same time, New Year’s celebrations in New York’s Times Square concluded without any untoward incident. Amid heavy security, millions of locals and tourists reached to enjoy the world’s largest New Year celebration, getting drenched in unseasonal rain. The unseasonal rain at that time did not dampen the enthusiasm of the people and they welcomed the New Year with great pomp and show.
This terrorist attack in New Orleans has raised fresh questions on security, terrorism and New Year celebrations in America. This incident is a warning not only for New Orleans but for the entire America that terrorists can attack anywhere at any time and strict security and surveillance is required to deal with this.
