devices that was found, and we are working on confirming if this is a viable device or not. hello, i'm annita mcveigh. we start in new orleans, where the man suspected of carrying out an attack on new year's revellers has been preliminarily identified as 42—year—old shamsud din jabbar. that's according to two federal officials who spoke to the bbc�*s us partner, cbs news. ten people have been killed after the man drove a pick—up truck into crowds of revellers in the city. at least 35 others were injured. local police say the driver tried to run over as many people as possible. he was subsequently killed in a gunfight with police. two officers were wounded. in these images shared by earthcam, you can see

a group of police officers running toward the scene. and this picture from social media, checked by bbc verify, shows law enforcement, many heavily armed, surrounding a white pick—up truck in the aftermath of the incident. the fbi has taken over the investigation and confirmed that they're looking into this as an act of terrorism. the incident took place in the central french quarter of new orleans, a notable and busy nightlife spot, in the early hours of new year's day local time. this was the scene in the last few hours. it's around lunchtime there now. large parts of that french quarter have been cordoned off while investigations continue. in a moment, we'll cross live to the scene in new orleans, but first, this report from tom bateman. police race to the scene just after 3am on new orlea ns's bourbon street. an historic tourist district packed with

bars and music venues. the night had been filled with people out for new year's eve. officers say a man in a pick—up truck ploughed into a crowd, trying to run over as many people as he could. he then shot at police, who fired back and killed him. it did involve a man driving a pick—up truck down bourbon street at a very fast pace, and it was very intentional behaviour. this man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could. he was hell—bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did. we heard loud banging sounds coming out. we're in our room pretty muchjust closing out for the evening at the end of all of the events and everything, and we looked out the window and noticed ther was a lot of bodies laying on the ground. being a marine corps vet, it

felt like back in iraq again, just shoved right in, everyone laying down, not knowing exactly what to do. dozens were wounded, including two police officers who were shot. they're all being treated in several of the city's hospitals. police evacuated a wide area, saying they were checking for possible explosive devices before carrying out controlled explosions. what it is right now is there are impovised explosive - devices that was found. and we're working on confirming whether it is a viable _ device or not. police have released few details about the perpetrator, saying he deliberately ran into the crowd before opening fire. the fbi says it's investigating the attack as an act of terrorism. as they scour the scene for clues and try to trace the attacker�*s background. in the last hour, president biden gave his reaction.

i've spoken to every agency from the cia to our national security team to the fbi and we're gathering information and i've spent a lot of time with the mayor. what was your reaction - when you heard what happened? one of anger and frustration. he says the white house is offering support to the city which is now ushering in the new year grieving instead and paying for the wounded. tom bateman, bbc news, washington. let's ta ke let's take a live look at the scene. we are expecting a update, a news conference in the next couple of hours and we will bring that to you life. we are hearing from our partners partners in the us

that the suspect, shamsud din jabbar, is a resident of texas. also some evidence that a flag bearing images of the islamic state group were on the pick—up truck. but we are working on getting more information on all the suggestions and there may be updates on that in the news conference coming up we think in the next hour. let's speak to news correspondent anna adams in new orleans. bring us up—to—date with what is happening there around lunchtime there. it’s is happening there around lunchtime there. it's around lunchtime — lunchtime there. it's around lunchtime if _ lunchtime there. it's around lunchtime if you _ lunchtime there. it's around lunchtime if you said. - lunchtime there. it's around lunchtime if you said. we i lunchtime there. it's around l lunchtime if you said. we now have masses of tourists who probablyjust have masses of tourists who probably just look have masses of tourists who probablyjust look it up in the last couple of hours to this unbelievable news. when i got down there, it was around 7:30am in the morning and there was not a soul. more more people are waking up and wondering how on there's this could've happened after that they probably had out here last night. so what we've here is we still got a corner in there and we are told they are still removing the bodies from

bourbon street. this is the main road here in new orleans. this is canal street. this is the entrance here into the historic french quarter which is where it happened. still an active crime scene and we are seeing a lot of people coming in and out and police going in and out this morning. we have the state troopers who have now arrived in officers from other parishes coming to assist but what really is going to be on everyone�*s my now is how this could've happened. is a soft target. this is a city where everyone is out on the streets all the time. there are parades all the time. there are parades all the time. they are marching bands, musicians, everything out here partly because of the weather and also because of the freewheeling nature of the city. the streets were three or four deep with people in our afternoon there are people on the streets because this was a parade for the sugar bowl. so this is a building at the not only this is happened but also is now being described as a terror attack will come as a huge surprise to everybody

here. , ., ,, ., here. yes, that sugar bowl you were talking — here. yes, that sugar bowl you were talking about _ here. yes, that sugar bowl you were talking about is _ here. yes, that sugar bowl you were talking about is a - here. yes, that sugar bowl you were talking about is a big - were talking about is a big couege were talking about is a big college football tournament thatis college football tournament that is due to take place in the city later on today. before we talk more about what is happened, we have a pulmonary identification of shamsud din jabbar. are you hearing anything else there in terms of unification or any information about the suspect? irate unification or any information about the suspect?— unification or any information about the suspect? we are told that he has _ about the suspect? we are told that he has been _ about the suspect? we are told that he has been linked - about the suspect? we are told that he has been linked to - about the suspect? we are told that he has been linked to an . that he has been linked to an air b&b in another part of the city not farfrom air b&b in another part of the city not far from here, a sort of five—minute drive. so i've been told that there are potentially some controlled explosions going on over there, probably about a mile from here. that's unconfirmed by officials but that is what is being understood to be happening here.- being understood to be happening here. being understood to be hauenina here. �* ., , happening here. and for people who are just _ happening here. and for people who are just also _ happening here. and for people who are just also coming - happening here. and for people who are just also coming to - happening here. and for people who are just also coming to the | who are just also coming to the story, sorry i think a bit of difficulty with a line and hopefully it will stay stable so we can talk to one another

but for people to come into the story, we have heard lots of discussions about bullard is and how the suspect was able to drive around these bollards to attack people in what was described as a very intentional manner. were these bollards there all the time? with her there all the time? with her there to control the crowds for a new year? just described to us the setting in which all of this happened.— us the setting in which all of this happened. yeah, if you can see and i _ this happened. yeah, if you can see and i don't _ this happened. yeah, if you can see and i don't know _ this happened. yeah, if you can see and i don't know if - this happened. yeah, if you can see and i don't know if you can | see and i don't know if you can see and i don't know if you can see the entrance here to bourbon street. while large just slightly further back in there also bollards further up there also bollards further up there which is where i was last night. those bollards were up, but they would have been too far away from the main road to have any real impact. so the question everyone wants answered today is how was he able to drive around the bollards? with about a large partially up was much that is the answer we have not been getting. but there is a press covers happening in the next half hour or so so hopefully the chief of police anne kirkpatrick may have some

answers in that press conference.— answers in that press conference. ., ., , answers in that press conference. ., ., conference. do we have any more information _ conference. do we have any more information about _ conference. do we have any more information about the _ conference. do we have any more information about the victims - information about the victims of this attack, but those who were killed and the more than 30 injured, including those two police officers who were wounded in the gunfight? it’s wounded in the gunfight? it's very little _ wounded in the gunfight? it�*s very little information about the victims. we are not hearing anything at all. they are scattered across the three main hospitals in the city. we did hear about the two officers who were shot. they have survived what they are also in hospital and that's all that we've got the moment. we are waiting to hear more from that hopefully in the press conference coming soon. ., ,. , , soon. you describe people emerging _ soon. you describe people emerging from _ soon. you describe people emerging from their- soon. you describe people | emerging from their hotels soon. you describe people - emerging from their hotels on the streets and obvious at this particular area around the attack cordoned off, but what's the mood in the city? people of course come to new orleans for holidays, for fun, course come to new orleans for holidays, forfun, to enjoy course come to new orleans for holidays, for fun, to enjoy the music. i'm asleep people in the city for this big college football game, but what is the mood there and is there any sense that this college game will still go ahead or are

there any questions over whether it can?— there any questions over whether it can? �* ., _ whether it can? i'm told by the --eole whether it can? i'm told by the people who — whether it can? i'm told by the people who art _ whether it can? i'm told by the people who art linked - whether it can? i'm told by the people who art linked to - whether it can? i'm told by the people who art linked to the i people who art linked to the couege people who art linked to the college football that it will still go ahead. it is incredibly rare for them to cancel anything like that. with her that is still the case now with more details emerging, i don't know, but i spoken to lots of tourists here who said they would still go to the game, the show must go on. it's a slight touchy subject here because there is a live crime scene there still bodies in the french quarter to the facts of a people could then go and enjoy a college football game, i really don't know how that would happen. but in terms of the city, i hate to use the term the big easy but it is the big easy. this is a very freewheeling, easy—going city and it's also a very small city and it's also a very small city and nobody ever expects this kind of thing to happen here. there is violence here. there are shooting. there was a shooting only a couple of weeks ago right here on canal street but it was gang—related. and so that's what everybody here is

worried about, gang violence in shootings and muggings. never once with any one of expected a terror attack to happen here in new orleans. it's a sort of slightly... the city feels a bit and i flitted from that kind of event. no one here would ever think that has happened. the 70 big cities, new york, london, not in new orleans. it's a relatively easy target because everybody would have been out and nobody will have been out and nobody will have ever bought anything like this could have happened. it is not that type of city. irate this could have happened. it is not that type of city.— not that type of city. we know that police _ not that type of city. we know that police were _ not that type of city. we know that police were on _ not that type of city. we know that police were on the - not that type of city. we know that police were on the scene | that police were on the scene really quickly for seven of the fbi is now in charge of this investigation. we have also been hearing political reaction of course both from president biden and president electron. bring us up—to—date on that key political reaction. bring us up-to-date on that key political reaction.— political reaction. well, it's a very difficult _ political reaction. well, it's a very difficult time - political reaction. well, it's a very difficult time here i political reaction. well, it's a very difficult time here in j a very difficult time here in america in terms of the polarisation of everyone's views. we've had some politicians coming down to the scene this morning to talk about the borders also prevent people coming down here to say is nothing to do with that.

every body now, the look of voices in a coming at a safe one thing or another. and i think it's only going to add to the febrile atmosphere here in the febrile atmosphere here in the states. this is a democratic city but we are in a very deeply republican state, so you can imagine there will be views on both sides about why did this happen and could it have been prevented at all? anna, thank you very much for bringing us up—to—date. and adam there in new orleans for us and as i mentioned we are expecting that news with updates to happen in the next hour which we will bring to you live. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's just get some more of that reaction from local authorities. we're expecting another press conference to take place in the coming hour, but i just want to bring you more from their

earlier statements. we heard from witnesses who were on the scene and sheltered in doorways that the driver of the white pick—up truck was behaving the white pi