On New Year’s Day, a US Army veteran with an ISIS flag on his truck swerved around temporary barriers and crashed into the congested French Quarter in New Orleans, killing 15 people in an attack that authorities believe was orchestrated with assistance from others.
Police shot and killed the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas who had previously served in Afghanistan, after he rammed the crowd.
The suspect shot two police officers during the attack, causing injuries to about thirty other people. Around 3:15 a.m. (09:15 GMT), it happened close to the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a famous tourist spot with bars and music where people were ringing in the new year.
Political and law enforcement officials pledged to apprehend any collaborators.
The Sugar Bowl, a traditional college football game that takes place in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, was postponed by officials due to the perceived threat. Police searched neighbourhoods for clues and swept the city for potential explosives, postponing the Notre Dame vs. Georgia game for 24 hours until Thursday night.
On February 9, the city will also host the NFL Super Bowl.
According to the FBI, two possible explosive devices were discovered in the French Quarter and made safe, and police also discovered weapons and a possible explosive device in the car.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that an investigation into potential ties to terrorist groups was prompted by the discovery of an ISIS flag on the trailer hitch of the rented car.
“We don’t think Jabbar was the only one at fault. FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan told reporters, “We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.” She also said that investigators were investigating a “range of suspects.”
Biden denounces the attack.
In addition to denouncing what he described as a “despicable” act, US President Joe Biden stated that investigators were investigating the possibility of a connection to a Tesla truck fire outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Biden asserts that there is currently no evidence linking the two incidents.
“The FBI also reported to me that mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he’s inspired by ISIS, expressing the desire to kill,” Biden said regarding the suspect from New Orleans.
The suspect recorded videos in which he mentioned dreams about joining ISIS, according to CNN, which cited officials briefed on the investigation.
Officials informed CNN of the situation. The suspect, who was hidden by darkness, discussed his divorce and his plans to murder his family at a “celebration” in the videos. CNN reported that he later retracted his plans and claimed to have joined ISIS.
ISIS, also known as the Islamic State or ISIL, is a Muslim militant organisation that terrorised millions of people in Syria and Iraq before collapsing after a protracted military campaign led by a coalition led by the United States.
According to public records, Jabbar was a Houston real estate agent. Jabbar stated in a promotional video released four years ago that he was born and raised in Beaumont, a city located approximately 80 miles (130 km) east of Houston, and that he worked as an IT and human resources specialist for the US military for ten years.
According to an Army spokesperson, Jabbar served in the regular Army from March 2007 to January 2015 before joining the Army Reserve in January 2015 and remaining there until July 2020. He received a promotion to staff sergeant after serving in Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.
“DEBRIS AND SCREAMING”
Only 20 yards (meters) from where the truck struck some pedestrians, Mike and Kimberly Strickland of Mobile, Alabama, said they were returning to their hotel after attending a bluegrass concert in New Orleans.
During an interview, Kimberly Strickland stated, “There were people everywhere.” “You just heard this squeal and the rev of the engine and this huge, loud impact and then the people screaming and debris—just metal—the sound of crunching metal and bodies.”
According to police, there were about 400 officers on duty in the French Quarter at the time of the incident, some of whom had set up a temporary barricade to keep cars out of the pedestrian area.
Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters, “This is evil, not just a terrorist act.”
The steel bollards that impede traffic in the Bourbon Street area were being removed and replaced in New Orleans in response to vehicle attacks on pedestrian malls around the world.
The goal was to finish construction in time for the Super Bowl. According to Kirkpatrick, police cars and officers made an effort to act as a temporary barrier.
“This particular terrorist drove around, onto the pavement, and got around the hard target,” said Kirkpatrick.
ISIS has long tried to radicalise people online with varying degrees of success, according to Jon Alterman, a Middle East specialist at Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
“It doesn’t take a huge operation to find individuals in personal distress and give them a sense that their life can have some greater meaning,” he wrote in his email.
