January 2, 2025 | 02:12 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A US Army veteran with an ISIS flag on his truck veered around makeshift barriers and plowed into New Orleans’ crowded French Quarter on New Year’s Day, killing 15 people, in an attack officials believe was carried out with the help of others, Channel NewsAsia reported on Thursday (Jan 2).
The suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas who served in Afghanistan, was killed in a shootout with police after driving into the crowd.
The FBI is investigating it as an “act of terrorism.” The FBI has also said it is looking into possible ties to a terrorist organization. Officials said the suspect made a series of video recordings before Wednesday’s attack in which he said he was joining ISIS.
The attack, which injured 30 others, occurred about 3.15am near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic tourist destination known for music and bars where crowds were celebrating the New Year.
Police and political leaders have vowed to catch anyone involved.
(Picture above) A Texas man named Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, identified as the suspect in a truck attack that killed several people during New Year's celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., January 1, 2025. Texas Department of Public Safety via REUTERS
Because of the perceived danger, officials postponed the Sugar Bowl, the classic college football game played in New Orleans every year on New Year's Day.
The game between Notre Dame and Georgia was postponed for 24 hours until Thursday night as police swept parts of the city for possible explosive devices and gathered in neighborhoods for clues.
The city will also host the NFL Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
The FBI said police found weapons and explosives in vehicles and two devices were found in the French Quarter and declared safe.
"We do not believe that Jabbar is solely responsible. We are pursuing every lead, including from his known associates," FBI Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan told reporters.
When asked how many potential accomplices the FBI was investigating, she said it was "a number of suspects" and urged anyone who had contact with Jabbar in the previous 72 hours to contact authorities.
CNN and the Associated Press claim surveillance video shows three men and a woman setting off improvised explosive devices in the French Quarter. But the law enforcement source they cited later backed away from that conclusion, saying it was unclear what the men in the video were doing.
The FBI, which is the lead investigator in the case, also said it and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office were conducting an operation in a north Houston neighborhood where Jabbar lived.
CNN, citing unnamed sources, reported that investigators found writings by the suspect that the FBI believes support the view that the vehicle attack was inspired by ISIS.
ISIS is a Sunni Muslim militant group that terrorized millions of people in Iraq and Syria until it collapsed after a sustained military campaign by a US-led coalition.
Public records show Jabbar works in real estate in Houston. In a promotional video posted four years ago, Jabbar described himself as born and raised in Beaumont, a city about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of Houston. He said he spent 10 years in the US military as a human resources and IT specialist.
Jabbar was in the regular Army from March 2007 to January 2015 and then in the Army Reserve from January 2015 to July 2020, an Army spokesman said. He was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010 and held the rank of Staff Sergeant at the end of his service.
Editor's Choice: At least 10 Dead After Truck Crashes into New Orleans Crowd, City Agency Says
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