In the early hours of New Year’s Day, Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter was alive with celebration for 2025. The festive mood turned to horror when a white pickup truck smashed into a crowd, resulting in 10 deaths and numerous injuries. Whit Davis, who was inside a bar on Bourbon Street at the time, recounted the chaos: “People started running and hiding under tables as if it were an active shooter situation.”
Jim and Nicole Mowrer witnessed the truck breaking through a barrier at high speed. They took cover in an alcove and heard gunshots as law enforcement approached the suspect. A local hotel worker, who was closing for the night, described the aftermath to CBS news: “When we looked out, we saw bodies on the ground, the truck speeding off. I ran downstairs to help. The scene was just horrific.”
The truck eventually crashed further along the street, where the driver then engaged in gunfire with police, wounding two officers who are now in stable condition. The driver was confirmed dead by the FBI.
Whit Davis was among those held back by police while the area was secured. He later described walking past “dead and injured bodies all over the street,” with everyone in a state of shock. Nicole and Jim Mowrer, after emerging from their hiding spot, attempted to aid the victims but found some had already succumbed to their injuries. Images from the scene depicted a deserted Bourbon Street, marked by the grim sight of casualties.
At a press conference, New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick described the driver as intent on causing destruction. The FBI is treating the incident as an act of terrorism, with Special Agent Althea Duncan noting the discovery of an improvised explosive device at the scene, which they are examining for viability.