Police in New Orleans have revealed that a driver intentionally plowed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s celebrants, resulting in at least 10 fatalities. While the motive behind the attack remains unknown, the FBI is treating it as a potential act of terrorism. This incident is part of a disturbing trend known as “vehicle as a weapon attacks,” which have led to increased security measures in cities worldwide. Here are some notable instances of such attacks:
– New Orleans, Jan. 1, 2025: A driver crashes into a crowd in the French Quarter, killing 10 people before being killed in a police shootout.
– Magdeburg, Germany, Dec. 20, 2024: A car plows into a Christmas market, resulting in five deaths. The driver, a Saudi doctor with far-right affiliations, is arrested.
– Zhuhai, China, Nov. 11, 2024: A man deliberately drives into a sports complex, killing 35 people due to personal grievances.
– London, Ontario, June 6, 2021: A Muslim family is targeted in a pickup truck attack, deemed a terrorist act fueled by hatred.
– Toronto, April 23, 2018: A man inspired by an online community deliberately drives into pedestrians on Yonge St., killing 10.
– New York City, Oct. 31, 2017: An Islamic extremist uses a pickup truck to attack pedestrians, resulting in eight deaths.
– Barcelona, Aug. 17, 2017: A van attack on Las Ramblas boulevard by the Islamic State group leads to 14 fatalities.
– Charlottesville, Virginia, Aug. 12, 2017: A white supremacist deliberately drives into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman.
– London, June 19, 2017: A man influenced by far-right ideologies targets worshippers outside a mosque, resulting in one death.
– London, June 3, 2017: Three attackers use a van to strike pedestrians on London Bridge before engaging in stabbing attacks nearby.
Multiple deadly attacks in different parts of the world have left a trail of devastation and loss in recent years. The incidents, ranging from vehicular assaults to stabbing sprees, have shocked communities and sparked concerns over security measures and the motives behind such violent acts.
In a chilling display of violence, British man Khalid Masood carried out a horrific attack in London on March 22, 2017. Masood deliberately rammed an SUV into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, claiming the lives of four individuals. He then proceeded to fatally stab a police officer stationed at the Houses of Parliament before being shot dead by law enforcement authorities.
Moving to Melbourne, Australia, a similar tragedy unfolded on January 20, 2017. James Gargasoulas went on a rampage, plowing his vehicle into lunchtime crowds at a pedestrian mall. The senseless act resulted in the deaths of six people, with over 30 others sustaining injuries. Gargasoulas, later found to have been in a drug-induced state of psychosis, was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous actions.
The city of Berlin, Germany, was shaken to its core on December 19, 2016, when Anis Amri, a rejected asylum-seeker from Tunisia, launched a deadly assault on a Christmas market. Hijacking a truck, Amri callously drove into the crowded market, claiming the lives of 13 individuals and injuring numerous others. In a bid to escape justice, the attacker was later killed in a shootout in Italy.
France also fell victim to a horrific attack on July 14, 2016, during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Tunisian-born French resident, unleashed chaos by driving a rented truck along a packed seaside promenade. The ruthless act resulted in the deaths of 86 innocent people, marking it as one of the deadliest attacks of its kind. While police managed to neutralize the attacker, eight accomplices were sentenced to prison for their roles in orchestrating the tragic event.
In the Netherlands, the city of Apeldoorn was rocked by a shocking incident on April 28, 2009. Former security guard Karst Tates carried out a deliberate attack during a royal parade, driving his car into spectators with deadly intent. The ruthless act claimed the lives of six individuals, with Tates succumbing to his injuries the following day. The true motives behind Tates’ actions remain shrouded in mystery to this day.
Lastly, a disturbing incident took place in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on March 3, 2006, involving University of North Carolina graduate Mohammed Taheri-Azar. Taheri-Azar callously drove an SUV into a crowd at the university, causing injuries to nine individuals. In a chilling revelation, the attacker professed his actions as a bid to avenge Muslim deaths overseas. As a consequence of his actions, Taheri-Azar was sentenced to up to 33.
