A celebration marking the New Year in New Orleans was tragically interrupted when a terrorist drove his vehicle into a crowd of people, resulting in 10 deaths and dozens of injuries.
The incident occurred around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street when the suspect drove his vehicle into a group of revelers, according to New Orleans police, who provided details during a Wednesday morning press conference. More than 30 people were wounded in the attack, with many being rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The FBI is now treating the event as a terrorist act.
The attacker has been named as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, who was reportedly carrying an ISIS flag in his vehicle.
At a press conference, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick described the suspect’s actions as “very intentional,” noting that he targeted people on Canal and Bourbon Street in the early hours of the new year. “This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” she said.
After crashing into the crowd, the suspect exited his vehicle and opened fire on police officers, injuring two. The officers are stable and receiving medical attention, according to Kirkpatrick. Law enforcement returned fire, and the suspect was confirmed dead at the scene, as stated by the FBI.
By Wednesday morning, the death toll stood at 10, and more than 30 people had been injured. The majority of the injured were taken to University Medical Center, while others were sent to various other hospitals, including Touro Hospital and Ochsner Medical Centers.
Police stated that most of the victims appeared to be local residents rather than tourists.
“He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick remarked.
Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana condemned the attack early on Wednesday via a post on X, expressing his shock and calling for prayers for the victims and first responders: “A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene.”
Both the governor and the FBI have advised locals to stay away from Bourbon Street.
The FBI identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas.
The FBI clarified that the suspect had been driving a rented Ford pickup truck, and they are currently working to confirm how he obtained the vehicle.
Authorities discovered weapons and a possible IED in the vehicle, along with an ISIS flag. The FBI is investigating the suspect’s potential connections to terrorist groups. Other IEDs have been found in the French Quarter, and authorities are working to determine whether any are active threats.
The FBI later confirmed that the suspect died after an exchange of gunfire with police.
Law enforcement recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle from the scene, according to sources.
The FBI later stated that they do not believe Jabbar acted alone. “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates,” an official said.
The motive for the attack remains unclear. The FBI is investigating it as a terrorist act. In their statement, they said: “The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
{Matzav.com}