An incident in New Orleans just hours into 2025 left 15 people dead and numerous others injured.
In what the FBI is looking into as a terrorist attack, a Texas man drove a truck into a street of New Year’s revelers early on Wednesday. The attack happened on Bourbon Street, a well-known spot for parties.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, has been identified by authorities as the culprit. During the incident, his truck was flying an Islamic State flag. In a firefight with police on Wednesday, Jabbar lost his life.
What happened?
The suspect drove a white Ford pickup into the New Year’s festivities at approximately 3:15 a.m. local time. He avoided a police car by driving his truck—which was flying an ISIS flag—onto a sidewalk, according to officials.
Two police officers were wounded when Jabbar opened fire on them after crashing the truck. Jabbar was killed.
Additionally, the FBI disclosed that Jabbar’s hired truck included firearms and a potential improvised explosive device.
Witnesses described hearing “bodies and screams” in the immediate aftermath of the incident, which happened in the French Quarter of the city.
“It was unbelievable,” Jimmy Cothran, a witness, said. “It just kept going.”
The suspect
The suspect was identified by the authorities as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas veteran of the U.S. Army. Jabbar was a citizen of the United States.
Although officials have not disclosed the identities of any other potential participants, investigators stated they do not think Jabbar was “solely responsible” for the attack. The public has being urged to help the FBI.
After serving in the Army from 2006 to 2015, Jabbar was honorably retired from the Army Reserve in 2020, according to officials. He served as an administrative clerk in Afghanistan after being deployed there in 2009.
Texas court records show that Jabbar was charged with misdemeanor theft in 2002 and driving with an expired license in 2005. Public documents show that his second wife filed an application for a temporary restraining order in 2020.
The victims
Authorities changed the death toll from 10 to 15 after first stating that 10 persons had died. The identities of several of the victims of the attack, which left scores more injured, have not been made public.
One of the victims was identified by his former high school and university asMartin “Tiger”Bech, a football player for Princeton University who graduated in 2021.
Princeton football coach Bob Suracesaid in a statementthat Bech was “a ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend.”
Another victim was identified asReggie Hunter, 37, a father of two from Louisiana, a relative told NBC News.
Shirell Jackson, Hunter s cousin, described him as an “awesome person” and “a little-bitty guy” with a “big heart.” Hunter was very funny and loved his sons, who are 1 and 11 years old, Jackson said.
Ni Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, 18, was also killed, her grandmother toldThe New York Times.Dedeaux s mother mourned her daughter on Facebook, asking people to pray for her family.
The investigation
Although the FBI said Wednesday that investigators do not believe the suspect acted alone, there isno active manhunt for other suspects, according to law enforcement sources.
Earlier Wednesday, the FBI investigated whether anyone was involved in placing containers that they worried may have been improvised explosive devices. However, those people were ruled out as suspects, a senior law enforcement official said.
President Joe Biden said in an address to the nation Wednesday that the FBI told him that in the hours before the attack, Jabbar posted videos to social media “indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill.”
Biden said that “the investigation is continuing to be active, and no one should jump to conclusions.”
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