New Orleans: Latest in string of deadly vehicle attacks
January 1, 2025
New Orleans, United States, January 1, 2025
A vehicle plowed into a crowd of New Orleans revelers early on New Year's Day, killing 10 people and injuring 35 others. The FBI said it was investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. The driver of the vehicle was killed in a firefight soon after the attack, which took place at about 3:15 in the morning local time.
Magdeburg, Germany, December 20, 2024
At least five people died and more than 200 were injured when a man slammed a rented BMW SUV into a Christmas market in eastern Germany. The suspect, who was arrested at the scene, is a 50-year-old doctor originally from Saudi Arabia who had expressed anti-Muslim views and support for the far-right AfD party.
Zhuhai, China, November 11, 2024
A 62-year-old driver rammed a small SUV into people exercising at a sports complex in southern China on November 11, killing at least 35 in the country's deadliest act of mass homicide in years. Authorities said the perpetrator was upset about his divorce but offered few other details about his motive. Another 43 were injured. The man was detained and, in December, sentenced to death.
London, Canada, June 6, 2021
Four members of a Muslim family who were out for a walk were killed when an attacker hit them with a pickup truck in what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called "a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred." The 23-year-old white nationalist attacker was sentenced to life in prison.
Toronto, Canada, April 23, 2018
A 25-year-old Canadian man drove a rented van into mostly female pedestrians on the main thoroughfare in Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring 16. He told police he belonged to the online "incel" community of sexually frustrated men. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
New York, United States, October 31, 2017
An Uzbek national killed eight people and seriously injured 12 others when he swerved a rented pickup truck on a bike path in New York City. Spurred on by a call to action by "Islamic State," he was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences plus an additional 260 years in prison.
Barcelona, Spain, August 17, 2017
A man driving a van plowed into people on the Spanish city's crowded Las Ramblas boulevard, killing 14 and injuring many more.
The "Islamic State" militia claimed responsibility, with members of the same cell carrying out a similar vehicle attack in the nearby resort town of Cambrils before being shot dead by police.
The perpetrator of the Ramblas attack was killed by police on August 21 after spending several days on the run.
Charlottesville, United States, August 12, 2017
A white supremacist intentionally drove his car into a crowd of protesters who were opposing a "Unite the Right" rally, killing one woman and injuring dozens of people. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
London, United Kingdom, March to June, 2017
The year 2017 saw a spate of vehicle attacks in the British capital starting on March 22, when a 52-year-old UK-born man rammed an SUV into people on Westminster Bridge, killing four before stabbing a policeman to death. The perpetrator — who was a convert to Islam — claimed to be waging jihad in revenge for Western military action in Muslim countries. He was shot dead.
On June 3, three Islamist attackers drove a van at pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people at the city's Borough Market. Eight people were killed and police killed the attackers.
Later that month, on June 19, a 47-year-old man radicalized by far-right ideas drove a van at worshippers outside a mosque in London's Finsbury Park area, killing one man and injuring 15 people.
Melbourne, Australia, January 20, 2017
Six people were killed and more than 30 injured when a car hit lunchtime crowds at a pedestrian mall in Australia's second-largest city. The perpetrator was found to have been in a state of drug-induced psychosis.
Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016
A rejected asylum-seeker from Tunisia drove a hijacked truck into a Christmas market in the German capital, killing 13 people and injuring dozens. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy. The attack was claimed by the "Islamic State" militant group.
Nice, France, July 14, 2016
A Tunisian-born French resident drove a rental truck for nearly 2 kilometers along a seaside promenade crowded with tourists. The attack on the French Riviera resort, which took place on France's Bastille Day holiday, killed 86 people — the deadliest of its kind.
rc/dj (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)