FBI: attack being treated as ‘act of terrorism’
Federal investigators say the vehicle attack is being treated as an “act of terrorism”.
The suspect, Jabbar, was wearing body armor at the time he carried out the attack. His rental truck flew a black flag, but it is not clear what organization the flag represented.
Key events
New Orlean’s Office Of Homeland Security And Emergency Preparedness is working to reunite families affected by the vehicle attack which took place this morning on Bourbon Street.
”Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. The City of New Orleans is working alongside local and state partners to provide support and ensure timely assistance for families,” The NOLA Ready website says.
FBI: attack being treated as ‘act of terrorism’
Federal investigators say the vehicle attack is being treated as an “act of terrorism”.
The suspect, Jabbar, was wearing body armor at the time he carried out the attack. His rental truck flew a black flag, but it is not clear what organization the flag represented.
The Guardian can confirm multiple bomb sniffing dogs being led toward the Airbnb rental linked to Jabbar, who allegedly drove into Louisiana from Texas in a rental car.
The suspect, Jabbar, 42, is a US citizen and a Texas resident.
Jabbar has a previous criminal record which includes theft and driving with a suspended license.
A black flag was flown from the truck Jabbar allegedly drove into the crowd.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News they are investigating whether or not the flag is tied to ISIS or another foreign terror organization.
Suspect named in vehicle attack as Shamsud Din Jabbar
Ramon Antonio Vargas
The suspect in the deadly terrorist attack in New Orleans has been named as Shamsud Din Jabbar, a senior law enforcement source confirmed to the Guardian.
NOLA.com first reported Jabbar’s name, which matches that of a man in Texas, where the truck was rented.
The senior law enforcement source said investigators for now believe Jabbar has ties to the Houston area.
Joe Biden issues statement on New Orleans vehicle attack
“I have been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight. The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury. I have directed my team 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.
“I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”
Despite the vehicle attack casting a shadow on the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the college football game between the University of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia is expected to move forward tonight.
Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said in a statement on Wednesday: “The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”
Donald Trump just took to Truth Social moments ago to share his thoughts on the vehicle attack in New Orleans. The president-elect in a post suggested the suspect, who has not yet been named, is not from the US – a claim which has not been confirmed by authorities.
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true. The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department.
“The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”
The driver was killed in a firefight with police, the FBI said.
A long gun was recovered at the scene of the crash, according to CBS.
Investigators also continue to sweep the area for explosive devices. FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan said officials are so far investigating at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene.
Louisiana congressman Troy Carter, a Democrat who also sits on the House Homeland Security Committee, has said he understands that the suspect in the mass killing in New Orleans acted alone.
There is very little information out in the public arena so far about the suspect, who is now dead. CNN reported that his truck had Texas licence plates.
Carter spoke to CNN and said “he appears to be a lone actor at this point.”
Carter posted on X: “New Orleans has faced adversity before, and we will rise again, stronger and more united.”
He also said he has spoken with homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
I have spoken personally with Secretary Mayorkas and the White House regarding last night’s unspeakable act of violence and will continue to receive updates. My heart is with the victims, their families, and everyone who witnessed this horrific attack during what should have been…
— Congressman Troy A. Carter (@RepTroyCarter) January 1, 2025
Here’s a brief summary of what’s taken place in New Orleans in the early hours of this morning. This is an Associated Press report.
What happened? Police said the driver sped through a crowd along Bourbon Street around 3.15am Wednesday as revelers had gathered to celebrate the start of the New Year. Ten people were killed and 30 were injured and taken to five local hospitals.
What are police saying about a possible motive? Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did” and he tried “to run over as many people as he could.” Kirkpatrick said two police officers were shot after the driver emerged from the truck and are in stable condition.
What happened to the driver? The FBI said the suspect is dead after a firefight with police. New Orleans police said that after the vehicle came to a stop, the suspect reportedly opened fire on responding officers, who returned fire. The victim was struck and subsequently declared deceased on scene. Further information on the suspect was not released.
Who was in the crowd? Authorities said Bourbon Street was filled with revelers toasting the start of 2025 and attending New Year’s Eve parties when the attack occurred. Crowds in New Orleans have been ballooning in anticipation of Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl college football playoff game between Georgia and Notre Dame. Officials said that game would go on as scheduled.
Ramon Antonio Vargas
The suspect in the New Orleans mass killing appears to have been based locally – if only temporarily. The suspect is dead and has not yet been named and very few details are known about him publicly.
A senior law enforcement source briefed on the attack told the Guardian that a short-term rental home linked to the suspect in New Orleans’ St Roch neighborhood, less than two miles from the scene of the incident, was on fire Wednesday morning.
An emergency management source told the Guardian that numerous residents in the area surrounding the home were evacuated, because there were apparently explosives inside the home. The owner of the home did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The FBI, which is now leading the investigation, said in a statement that “an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased.”
The bureau added that it is “working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism”.
The eyewitness, Jimmy Cothran, who just spoke to CNN and has lived in New Orleans for about 15 years, said he was surprised that metal barriers that are deployed to control crowds at each spring’s Mardi Gras celebrations were not deployed on Bourbon Street during the New Year’s Eve celebrations this year.
He said that only flimsy, orange plastic barriers “that you can push with one finger” were up, not the hydraulic posts that are raised during other large crowd events and, to his knowledge, would have stopped the truck driving the distance and speed it did along the street, running people over.
“Those barricades were not up…they never raised them, that’s how this guy was able to drive down Bourbon so quickly,” he said.
Cothran said he thought there would have been many fewer casualties if the metal barricades had been deployed “because this truck cannot get around those barricades,” he said.
