DDN – A guy intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people and wounding scores more, according to officials.
The truck’s rear bumper displayed a black ISIS flag, and the attack is being investigated as a terrorist crime, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The driver of the vehicle has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a Texas resident and US citizen, according to the FBI.
In broadcast remarks Wednesday evening, President Biden said the FBI concluded that just hours before the incident, Jabbar “posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill.”
The FBI described the vehicle as an electric Ford pickup truck that appeared to have been hired. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stated on social media Jabbar rented the truck on December 30th, while staying in the Houston region, before traveling to New Orleans.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, FBI special agent Alethea Duncan stated that investigators “do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible” for the incident and that he may have received assistance in carrying it out. Duncan stated that the FBI is investigating a “range of suspects” and does “not want to rule anything out” at this time. The FBI is also investigating his potential terrorist links.
According to a source involved with the investigation, neither ISIS nor any other foreign terror organization has claimed credit for the incident as of yet.
According to New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, the perpetrator drove around barricades and into Bourbon Street’s sidewalk, circumventing police barriers. Kirkpatrick stated that the man “was trying to run over as many people as he could.”
“We had a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and he still got around,” according to Kirkpatrick.
The suspect then got out of the car and began fire on the police, according to an FBI official. The FBI reported that he killed after exchanging gunfire with three responding cops. He was shot by officers and pronounced dead on the spot, according to the New Orleans officers Department. Two police officers were injured by gunfire but are in stable condition.
Duncan claimed the car included weapons and two probable improvised explosive devices (IEDs). At least one other IED was discovered in the French Quarter and destroyed by law officials, according to a source familiar with the inquiry. According to CBS News sources, the number of IEDs left behind is a major reason why the FBI believes the individual had an accomplice. According to CBS News sources, investigators are reviewing video to see whether there were any collaborators engaged in the device placement.
Law enforcement conducted additional sweeps but found no other IEDs, according to Duncan. Kirkpatrick said police walked the area in a grid pattern, looking for any suspicious things. Duncan advised anyone who sees anything odd to notify officials.
Law enforcement officials tell CBS News that a long gun was discovered from the area. According to sources on the scene, the long gun was equipped with a “suppressive device” that served as a silencer.
Two individuals familiar with the inquiry informed CBS News that the man was wearing body armor.
Investigators from the FBI, Homeland Security, and the bomb squad have all been on the scene at an Airbnb in New Orleans’ St. Roch neighborhood, where the suspect was staying, according to CBS News. The structure caught fire on Wednesday, and the inquiry is still ongoing.
Duncan requested anyone with knowledge on the individual to call the FBI. A US official told CBS News that he had served in the US military.
Officials Respond to “Horrific Act of Violence”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry described it as “a horrific act of violence” and said he and his wife were “praying for all the victims and first responders on the scene.” He warned everyone to avoid the area.
“As of now, 15 individuals have died. It will take several days to complete all autopsies. “We will release the victims’ identifications once the autopsies are completed and we have spoken with their next of kin,” New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said in a statement.
The popular tourist district was packed with New Year’s Day revelers at the time of the attack.
Witnesses told CBS News correspondent Kati Weis that a white truck slammed into pedestrians on Bourbon Street at high speeds, and the driver then began firing a handgun from inside the car, prompting police to open fire. Weis observed several persons on the ground being treated for injuries near the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets.
According to an official statement from the City of New Orleans, 30 persons were evacuated to nearby hospitals with injuries, and 10 were confirmed dead. Kirkpatrick later reported that at least 35 individuals had been hospitalized.
“He was hellbent on creating the carnage and damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick added.
Duncan stated that the FBI will lead the inquiry. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will cooperate with the FBI and local officials in the investigation. According to the White House, President Biden was briefed about the attack, and his government has contacted Cantrell to offer support.
In a statement, Biden said he has asked his administration to “ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind.”
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday,” the vice president stated. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”
President-elect Donald Trump acknowledged the attack in a post on TruthSocial.
“Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department,” according to Trump.
Sugar Bowl postponed
The Sugar Bowl college football playoff game, which was supposed to be played at the nearby Superdome later Wednesday, has been rescheduled for Thursday night. Kirkpatrick stated that bomb sweeps had been conducted at the Superdome and that the stadium would be closed down until the game.
The Sugar Bowl’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Hundley, revealed the delay at Thursday’s news conference. More information about the rescheduled game would be released in the coming hours, he stated.
“We live in the fun and games world, with what we do, but we certainly recognize the importance of this and we’re going to support it 100%,” Hundley told the crowd.
A student from the University of Georgia, one of the teams competing in the event, was “critically injured” in the attack, according to a school statement posted on social media. The student was not named.
Witnesses Sought to Help the Victims
Jim and Nicole Mowrer, who were visiting New Orleans from Iowa, witnessed the incident. The pair told CBS News that they had just witnessed the city’s fireworks display and were enjoying the New Year’s Day atmosphere in the French Quarter when they heard smashing sounds down the street.
They reported seeing a white truck slam through a roadblock “at a high rate of speed,” followed by gunfire and cops. The couple claimed the truck struck someone roughly a block distant from where they were walking.
“Once the gunfire stopped, 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 Mowrer, a witness, said. She claimed the couple discovered the victims had dead.
According to the Mowrers, the people they observed were injured as a result of the truck impact, and there were no visible gunshot wounds. They say they left when emergency responders arrived.
In a 2017 document obtained by CBS News, the mayor of New Orleans acknowledged the possibility of a mass casualty disaster in the busy, tourist-friendly French Quarter. The memo referred explicitly to car assaults in Nice, France, London, England, and New York City.
To reduce danger, the city claimed it will implement a camera and surveillance scheme, a centralized command center, increased police patrols, and infrastructure enhancements. The city was in the process of modernizing and strengthening the pedestrian bollard system in the French Quarter, with construction scheduled to continue until February.
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