MAJOR UPDATE: The FBI confirmed that the incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
The suspect who rammed a pickup truck into an unsuspecting crowd celebrating New Year's Eve in New Orleans' famed Canal and Bourbon Street didn't survive the violent incident, US media reports said.
The attacker, who killed at least 10 people and injured 30 others on Wednesday morning died after he engaged police personnel at the scene in a gunfight. Two officers of the New Orleans Police Department were shot and injured by the suspect before more officers reached the spot and challenged him, US media reports said. The two cops were rushed to the hospital and their condition is said to be stable.
While Fox News confirmed that the man was not taken alive from the scene, it was not immediately known if he shot himself or was neutralised by the officers.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the mass casualty incident on Bourbon Street, the White House said Wednesday.
"President Biden has been briefed on the horrific news that a driver killed and injured dozens of individuals in New Orleans overnight and the White House has been in touch with New Orleans Mayor Cantrell to offer support," the White House said in a statement. "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 FBI, which is leading the probe into the violent incident, is yet to confirm whether it was a terrorist event or not.
The pickup truck reportedly rammed a crowd on New OrleansCanal and Bourbon Street in the first hours of New Year's Day before the driver opened fire using an automatic weapon. The incident occurred at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets during New Year's Eve celebrations, the New York Times reported.