MADRID 1 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least ten people died this Wednesday and another 30 were injured in a crash on a busy street in the city of New Orleans, in the state of Louisiana, according to local US authorities.
“There are 30 injured patients who have been transported by NOEMS (New Orleans Emergency Medical Services) and 10 fatalities,” the administration responsible for disasters in the city said in a brief statement.
The White House has reported that President Joe Biden has been briefed about the shooting. US officials are in contact with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to offer support to local authorities.
Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick explained that the man, who was driving a van at high speed, had “intentional behaviour”. “I was trying to run over as many people as possible,” he said, as reported by CNN.
Likewise, he explained that the man shot two New Orleans Police officers who are in stable condition. Kirkpatrick has reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is already investigating whether there is an explosive device inside the vehicle.
The accident, which at the moment is not being investigated as a terrorist attack, occurred around 3:15 a.m. (local time) between Bourbon and Iberville streets. The injured have been transferred by emergency teams to five different hospitals in the city.
The governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, has classified the attack as a “horrible act of violence” on social media. “I urge all people who are near the scene of the events to avoid the area,” he indicated, transferring his prayers to the victims’ families.