“The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism,” Biden said in a statement
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President Joe Biden says he is working to “ensure every resource is available” in the wake of the horrific attack that took place on Bourbon Street early in the morning on New Year’s Day, when the driver of a pickup truck drove through a crowd, killing 10 and injuring around 35 people in the city’s popular French Quarter.
The driver was killed in a subsequent shooting exchange with police and the investigation is now being handled by the FBI. Two police officers injured in the shooting are now in stable condition, per authorities.
In a statement, Biden, 82, said he had been “continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership” and his homeland security team, as well as the mayor of New Orleans regarding the “horrific incident.”
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“The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism,” Biden added.
Saying that he was “grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury,” Biden said he is now working to ensure the necessary resources are available to the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working on the case.
“I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share,” Biden said. “In the meantime, 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.”
The massacre occurred around 3:15 a.m. local time on Jan. 1 when a pickup truck barreled down Bourbon Street in the city’s popular French Quarter.
In a press conference, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters, “It was very intentional behavior. This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could. It was not a DUI situation. This is more complex and serious based on the information we have.”
In a follow-up statement, the FBI said it is working with its partners “to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
Details about the suspect have not been released at this time, though police have promised a new update at 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
