Has Europe’s Islamist Threat Come to America?

Police surround a crime scene after a suspected terrorist drove into New Year's revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing at least 15. (Matthew Hinton via Getty Images)

Two suspected terror attacks on New Year’s Day signal a new worry for Americans that Europe has long faced: a deadly threat from our own citizens.

By Madeleine Kearns

01.02.25 — Politics and Crime

372

256

In the wee hours of the new year, revelers in New Orleans’s French Quarter were still popping champagne and dancing in the streets to live music when their joy suddenly turned to horror.

Around 3:15 a.m., the driver of a Ford F-150 Lightning truck barreled through the crowds on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. Among the dead were a young mom, a former college football star, and a 37-year-old father of two. After ramming the crowd, the driver stepped out of the truck and began shooting at police, two of whom were injured and taken to a hospital. The driver was then shot dead by law enforcement. IEDs were also found in other areas in the French Quarter, and authorities have disabled at least two. Multiple surveillance cameras and bystanders captured video of the incident. Here is one angle:

Maintaining The Free Press is Expensive!

To support independent journalism, and unlock all of our investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is, subscribe below.

Subscriber Benefits:

Full access to all articles, investigations and columns

Access to the comments section on every piece we publish

Weekly columns from Nellie Bowles, Douglas Murray, and Bari Weiss

First chance to purchase tickets for live Free Press events

Already have an account?