At least ten people were killed and numerous others were injured after a man purposefully crashed a pickup truck into a gathering of partygoers on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans early on New Year’s Day, according to authorities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that the attack is being looked into as a terrorist act.
The man driving the vehicle has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, the FBI said.
The truck’s rear bumper had been flying a black ISIS flag, FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. According to the FBI, it was an electric Ford pickup truck that looked to have been hired.
According to Duncan, the FBI thinks Jabbar might have had assistance in carrying out the attack, and investigators “do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible” for it. According to Duncan, at this point in the investigation, the FBI is considering a “range of suspects” and does not “want to rule anything out.” Additionally, the FBI is investigating the man’s possible links or affiliations with terrorist organizations. ISIS and other foreign terror groups have not yet claimed credit for the incident.
According to New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, the man drove past police-erected barricades and up onto the sidewalk of Bourbon Street. The man, according to Kirkpatrick, “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,” said Kirkpatrick.
The man then then exited the vehicle and started firing on officers, the FBI official said. Three officers responded and exchanged gunfire in which he died, said the FBI. He died on scene after getting struck by police fire, the New Orleans Police Department stated. Two police officers were also hit but are in stable condition now.
Weapons and 2 IED’s (improvised explosive devices) were located in the vehicle. Another IED was found and detonated by the law enforcement agency in the French Quarter. FBI believes the man could have an accomplice(s) due to the large number of IEDs left behind. Investigators are going through the videos to confirm if there were any accomplices involved in placing the devices.
Duncan reported that no other IEDs were discovered during additional law enforcement raids. Police patrolled the area in a grid pattern, Kirkpatrick said, searching for any suspicious objects. Duncan advised anyone to get in touch with authorities if they saw anything fishy.
According to law enforcement officials, a long gun was found at the site. Sources on the scene claim that the long gun had a “suppressive device” attached to it that served as a silencer.
A current and former senior law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation told Zippi News the man rented an Airbnb in New Orleans. A fire broke out at the Airbnb Wednesday, and investigators are examining if there is a link between the blaze and the attack, the source said. Residents in the area have been evacuated.
Officials reactions to “horrific act of violence”
Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana described it as “a horrific act of violence” and stated that he and his spouse were “praying for all the victims and first responders on scene.” He advised folks to stay away from the region.
At the time of the alleged attack, the well-known tourist area was crowded with New Year’s Day revelers. According to Kirkpatrick, “He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,”
According to witnesses, a white truck struck a group of individuals on Bourbon Street at a high speed. The driver then began shooting from inside the truck, and the police fired back. Near the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets, Several individuals receiving medical attention were observed on the ground.
In an online statement, the City of New Orleans said that 10 individuals were confirmed killed and 30 were sent to nearby hospitals with injuries. At least 35 people were hospitalized, according to Kirkpatrick’s later statement.
According to Duncan, the FBI will be in charge of the inquiry. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the FBI and local authorities will be assisted by 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. The White House said that President Biden was briefed on the attack and that his government had communicated with Cantrell to extend its support.
“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,” Biden said in a statement, directing his administration to “ensure every resource is available.”
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday,” Biden stated. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”
In a post on TruthSocial, Donald Trump, the incoming president, also acknowledged the attack.
“Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department,” Trump stated.
Sugar Bowl Postponed
Originally planned for later Wednesday in the adjacent Superdome, the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game has been rescheduled to Thursday night. The Superdome has undergone bomb sweeps, according to Kirkpatrick, and the stadium will be closed down until the game.
The Sugar Bowl’s CEO, Jeff Hundley, made the announcement during a press conference on Thursday. “We will have more information about the rescheduled game in the next few 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 said.
According to a social media statement from the University of Georgia, one of the teams participating in the game, a student was “critically injured” in the attack. No one knew who the student was.
(With CBS, AP, AFP and Reuters inputs)
One comment