New Orleans Terrorist Attack: The FBI said the suspect in the New Orleans pickup truck ramming incident that killed at least 14 people on New Year’s Day acted alone and was inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.
Officials had previously said they were investigating the possibility that the suspect coordinated his actions with others.
FBI officials briefed reporters Thursday on their investigation into the “act of terrorism” in which the suspect, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a pickup truck into a crowd on the city’s famous Bourbon Street and opened fire.
Christopher Raia of the FBI’s counterterrorism division said at a press conference Thursday that based on hundreds of interviews and a review of the attacker’s phones, social media accounts, and electronic devices, “at this moment, we are confident that there were no accomplices.”
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, was killed in a shootout with police. He served in the U.S. Army and later in the Army Reserve until he retired a few years ago.
U.S. President Joe Biden said the attack would not defeat New Orleans.
“So many people around the world love New Orleans for its history, its culture, and, most importantly, its people,” Biden said. “So I know that while this individual committed a horrific attack on this city, the spirit of our New Orleans will never, never, never be defeated. It will always shine.”
The attack occurred at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday. On Tuesday night, just hours before the attack, Abdul-Jabbar posted five videos on his Facebook account that were apparently sent to his family and recorded while he was driving, in which he expressed support for the Islamic State terrorist group. The FBI said authorities found an Islamic State flag in the car after the attack.
“This was an act of terrorism. This was a premeditated evil act,” said Raya of the FBI.
Raya said Abdul-Jabbar had planned to harm his relatives and friends but was worried about how the media would interpret it. “He was 100% inspired by the Islamic State,” he said.
Early morning attack on New Year’s Day
The attack took place at the intersection of Canal Street and Bourbon Street in the city’s bustling French Quarter. The historic tourist destination is full of bars and music and is also known for its grand New Year’s Day celebrations.
Police said the driver of the pickup truck got out and shot at police officers who responded to the scene after the truck crashed into the crowd, and the police returned fire, killing the suspect. Two police officers were injured but in stable condition.
“This was more than an act of terrorism. This was evil,” New Orleans Police Director Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters at a news conference early Wednesday.
The FBI said investigators found weapons and potential explosive devices inside the vehicle, and other potential explosive devices were found in the French Quarter. The FBI also said the pickup truck appeared to be rented.
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were just trying to celebrate the holidays,” Biden said in a statement on the social media platform X. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any community in our country.”
President-elect Donald Trump condemned the attack in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Our hearts go out to all of the innocent victims and their loved ones,” Trump said. “The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as it investigates and recovers from this act of pure evil!”
In the same post, Trump also falsely suggested that the suspect was an immigrant.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry urged people to avoid the area in a statement Wednesday on X, calling the incident a “horrific act of violence.”
Video shot by a bystander at the scene of the attack showed at least two twisted bodies lying in the street, one of which appeared to be in a pool of blood. A bystander knelt over one of the bodies.
“For those who don’t believe in true evil, you only have to look at what happened in our city this morning,” said Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana. “I would be very surprised if this doesn’t sicken every American, every fair-minded American.”
In addition to welcoming the New Year, the crowds in New Orleans were out partying because the city was set to host the college football Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night. Officials have confirmed that the game will be postponed until Thursday night.
In addition, New Orleans will host the NFL Super Bowl on February 9.
The FBI’s Raya said investigators said they had found no connection between the New Orleans attack and the Tesla truck explosion that killed one person outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday. But he warned that investigators have not ruled out any possibility.
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