Army veteran linked to New Orleans terror attack; 15 dead
The FBI has confirmed that the attacker in New Orleans is 42-year-old U.S. citizen Shamsud Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran. Explosive devices were discovered in his car and in the French Quarter, where the attack took place. Investigators believe that he did not act alone.
Early Wednesday morning, a pickup truck drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans with significant force. At least 15 people were killed, and 35 were injured.
The attacker exited the vehicle and began shooting at the police. He was shot by officers and died at the scene.
"The subject has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas (...). An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and the FBI is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations," the FBI stated in an official announcement.
He was not "solely responsible"
During a press conference on Wednesday, attended by representatives from the FBI, police, and city officials, it was reported that weapons and explosive devices were found in the attacker's car and were subsequently disarmed.
Two explosive devices were also discovered near the attack site.
FBI agent Alethea Duncan stated during the press conference that, according to the authorities, Jabbar was not "solely responsible" and she urged witnesses to provide any information about the perpetrator and his recent activities.
Officials believe that several suspects were involved in organizing the attack.
U.S. Army veteran
The FBI also reported that the car Jabbar used to drive into the crowd of New Year's Eve revelers was rented. Earlier, the television network NBC contacted the family of the car's owner from Houston, who said he rented out his car through a mobile app.
According to publicly available and FBI-confirmed information, Jabbar served in the U.S. Army as an IT specialist and later worked in IT companies and real estate.
Data obtained by CBS News indicate that Jabbar was a resident of Houston. He had hunting and fishing licenses, as well as a real estate license that expired in 2021. He previously had legal issues, having been charged with theft and driving without a license.
Court documents acquired by CBS News reveal that Jabbar divorced in 2020. His wife then filed for a restraining order for the safety of herself and her children.
The attacker bypassed barriers by driving onto the sidewalk
To date, 15 fatalities and 35 injuries have been confirmed from the attack. Local police chief Anne Kirkpatrick suggested that the death toll may rise, stating that some of the injured were transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Among the injured are two Israeli citizens.
The local police chief explained that the attacker was able to drive into the crowd and bypass the barricades because the city was in the process of replacing special posts installed in 2017 to protect against similar attacks. In their place, patrol cars and other barriers were set up on some sections of Bourbon Street, but the attacker drove onto the sidewalk to avoid them and struck the crowd of people.
