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New Orleans terrorist attack: What we know so far

The New Year’s car-ramming and shooting left 15 dead and dozens injured as the authorities search for possible accomplices

A robot is deployed to a location in Houston, Texas, where police are investigating a place suspected to be associated with the attacker in a deadly rampage in New Orleans, Jan. 1, 2025. © Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle via AP

A robot is deployed to a location in Houston, Texas, where police are investigating a place suspected to be associated with the attacker in a deadly rampage in New Orleans, Jan. 1, 2025. © Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle via AP

The US federal authorities are investigating the attack in New Orleans, Louisiana as an “act of terrorism,” after at least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured when a US Army veteran drove an SUV into a crowd celebrating the New Year.

 

How the attack unfolded

Chaos erupted in New Orleans’ iconic French Quarter at around 3:15am on January 1, 2025, when revelers celebrating New Year’s Day on Bourbon Street were struck by a white Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck that plowed through the densely packed crowd. 

Eyewitnesses described the truck as barreling down the street at high speed, swerving into pedestrians before crashing into a construction crane.

After the crash, the driver exited the vehicle and opened fire on responding police officers with an assault rifle. The shootout left two officers wounded before law enforcement fatally shot the suspect, later identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar.

Weapons and suspected explosive devices were discovered inside the vehicle and at locations near the crash site, raising concerns about premeditation and potential accomplices.

Victims and casualties

The attack resulted in 15 deaths, including the suspect. Twelve victims died at the scene, while three others succumbed to their injuries at local hospitals. Among the deceased were a mix of locals and tourists gathered for New Year’s celebrations. 

Another 35 individuals were injured, including two police officers who sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire with Jabbar. Many victims remain hospitalized, with several in critical condition.

‘ISIS-Inspired’ US Army veteran

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in the attack, was a US Army veteran who served from 2007 to 2015 on active duty and continued in the Army Reserve until 2020. He was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010 and held the rank of staff sergeant at the time of his discharge.

An Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) flag was found in Jabbar’s vehicle, prompting federal investigators to classify the incident as a potential terrorist attack. Officials revealed that Jabbar converted to Islam within the last year and may have been radicalized online.

“Mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS and expressed a desire to kill,” President Joe Biden said in his address to the nation. However, no direct communication between Jabbar and ISIS has been confirmed.

Jabbar, a native of Beaumont, Texas, had no significant criminal record but reportedly exhibited erratic behavior in recent months.

Search for suspected accomplices

The authorities believe Jabbar may not have acted alone. The FBI has found evidence suggesting coordination, including pipe bombs reportedly linked to a wireless detonator found in Jabbar’s truck.


“We do not believe Jabbar acted entirely on his own and are aggressively pursuing every lead,” FBI Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan said. Law enforcement is following leads regarding Jabbar’s known associates and any potential accomplices who may have assisted in planning or executing the attack.

 

Possible links to Cybertruck blast

On the same day, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing one and injuring seven. Both vehicles involved in these incidents were rented through the same app, raising suspicions of a coordinated attack.

While no definitive link has been established between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion, federal investigators are examining a “possible connection,” according to Biden, who cautioned the public against drawing premature conclusions.

Author: Editors Desk

Source: RT

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