Jim and Nicole Mowrer, who were visiting New Orleans from Iowa, told CBS that they were in the French Quarter when they heard crashing noises down the street.

They said they saw a white truck slam through a barricade “at a high rate of speed”, then heard gunshots after the crashing noises.

“We stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of – several people who had been hit, [we] wanted to see what we could do to help,” Nicole said.

They tried to help people they found wounded, but realised the victims had died. They said the truck hit people only about a block away from where they were walking.

The couple said the victims they saw had injuries from the truck impact, and they did not see any apparent gunshot wounds. They said they left the area once emergency responders started arriving.

Initial reports seem to indicate that a majority of the victims were locals, police said.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says in a post on X that he was “praying for all the victims and first responders on scene”.

“A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning,” Landry wrote.