A truck attack on New Year's Eve in New Orleans' iconic Bourbon Street left at least 15 dead and many more injured, shattering the festive atmosphere. A US military veteran drove a pickup truck into pedestrians, sparking shock and grief in the city known as the 'Big Easy'.
The celebratory atmosphere of Bourbon Street in New Orleans , long an American byword for indulgence and revelry, was dimmed Wednesday as residents and visitors alike reeled from a deadly truck attack on New Year's crowds. Several square blocks of the main entertainment district were blocked off after the attack, in which authorities said a US military veteran plowed a pickup truck into pedestrians, killing at least 15 people and leaving a tear in the heart of the city known as the Big Easy.
'We're all numb,' Ken Williams, a Creole chef who grew up in New Orleans and moonlights as a candy seller in the city's usually raucous French Quarter, told AFP. 'Everybody is feeling shocked about what happened,' the 65-year-old added.'Some people are going to just try and drink it off -- shake the fright off, you know?' Williams said he was fortunate to have headed home about 1:30 am Wednesday, some 90 minutes before the carnage began. Dwayne Perkins, 22, made the decision to stay out late, and said he saw the truck take off down Bourbon Street at high speed, leaving a trail of destruction. 'If the cops were doing their jobs last night, this would have never happened,' said Perkins, who lives in New Orleans. He admonished the police force for allowing a private vehicle to enter a street that is for pedestrians only during times of celebration. His coping mechanism in the aftermath?'Getting drunk and drowning out the pain' of the tragedy he witnessed.The French Quarter normally teems with celebrants seeking live music and exploring art galleries. It is also ground zero for the city's debaucherous nightlife and has become a world-renowned hub for rambunctious partying. New Year's Eve was particularly busy, as celebrating crowds were boosted by sports fans ahead of the Sugar Bowl college football game which had been due to kick off Wednesday night in the stadium known as the Superdom
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