FBI is currently probing possible links to other attacks as the suspect is identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas.
A deadly truck attack early Wednesday on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter left at least 15 people dead and more than 30 injured. The driver was shot and killed by police after crashing the vehicle into the crowd at high speed and opening fire on officers. Authorities are calling the attack an act of terrorism.
According to New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, the suspect crashed the truck into revelers at around 3:15 a.m. CST before shooting at responding officers. Police returned fire, with two officers suffering non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was fatally shot by police at the scene.
The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. A government official revealed that Jabbar, who left active military duty in 2015, had worked as an Information Technology Specialist. Federal authorities are working to determine any affiliations with terrorist groups.
The FBI also discovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the scene and is continuing to search for additional devices. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the suspect’s actions as intentional, stating that the driver “was hell-bent on creating the carnage and damage that he did.” Authorities have not ruled out further connections between the attack and a deadly explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, which occurred just hours after the Bourbon Street incident.
The attack took place while over 300 officers were in the city for New Year’s Eve duties. Cantrell confirmed that the suspect swerved around barricades designed to protect the crowd. The investigation into the full extent of the attack continues, with federal and local authorities searching for more leads.
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday the suspect in a deadly attack in New Orleans made social media posts declaring that he was “inspired” by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) just hours before ramming his truck through a crowd in the French Quarter.
