New Orleans: Terror struck the people of New Orleans on Wednesday as a 42-year-old Army veteran rammed a truck bearing an Islamic State flag rammed his vehicle into a crowd celebrating New Year, killing at least 15 people before being shot dead by the police.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now probing the attack in the city’s French Quarter as a terrorist act with the suspicion that he may not have acted alone.
President Joe Biden mourned the victims of the “despicable” attack, saying “I want you to know I grieve with you. Our nation grieves with you. We’re going to stand with you as you mourn and as you heal in the weeks to come…The FBI is leading the investigation to determine what happened, why it happened and whether there was any continuing threat to public safety.”
Here’s what we know so far about the New Orleans attack:
- Investigators found multiple improvised explosive devices, including two pipe bombs hidden inside coolers and wired for remote detonation, the Associated Press reported.
- A bulletin, based on information gathered shortly after the attack, indicated that surveillance footage captured three men and a woman placing one of the devices. However, federal officials did not immediately confirm this, and the identities of the individuals in the video or their connection to the attack remain unclear.
- The attack turned Bourbon Street’s festive atmosphere into chaos and tragedy. More than 30 people were injured in addition to those killed. Pedestrians scrambled for safety inside nightclubs and restaurants.
- “This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil,” said New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. She explained that the driver bypassed safety measures designed to protect pedestrians and was “determined to cause the carnage and destruction he unleashed.”
- The FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas, and said that efforts are underway to investigate his potential connections to terrorist organisations.
- According to military officials, Jabbar enlisted in the Army in 2007, served in human resources and information technology, and was deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010.
- In 2015, he transitioned to the Army Reserve and left the service in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
- “We do not believe Jabbar acted alone,” said Alethea Duncan, the FBI’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge, during a news conference.
- Deadly explosions also struck Honolulu on New Year’s Eve and Las Vegas hours after the New Orleans attack, but authorities have not confirmed any links between the incidents.
- Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck onto a crowded sidewalk, manoeuvring around a police car set up to block traffic. A vehicle barrier system, designed to prevent such attacks, was under repair ahead of the Super Bowl scheduled for February.
- Police fatally shot Jabbar after he exited the truck and opened fire on officers. Three officers returned fire, and two were wounded, though both are in stable condition.
- A handgun and an AR-style rifle were recovered, according to a law enforcement official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the case publicly.
- A photo shared among law enforcement officials showed Jabbar, bearded and dressed in camouflage, lying next to the truck after his death.
- According to the intelligence bulletin obtained by the Associated Press, he was wearing a ballistic vest and helmet. The FBI reported that the flag of the Islamic State group was attached to the truck’s trailer hitch.
