An early New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans claimed the lives of at least 15 people, and is being investigated as a terrorist act.
Earlier the same morning that an explosion took place in Las Vegas, another horrific attack was carried out in New Orleans. A man drove a rented Ford F-150 Lightning through a crowd of people at about 3:15 AM on Wednesday, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens more, according to the latest available information.
The driver, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran from Texas, barreled through throngs of revelers and died in a subsequent shootout with police. Authorities noted they found what appears to be an improvised explosive device in the truck with the flag of the Islamic State (ISIL), noting that the attacker was inspired by the widely recognized terrorist organization.
On Thursday, the FBI said the attacker acted alone, reversing its earlier statement that he worked with others in carrying out the attack. At this time, law enforcement is not definitively linking the suspected Las Vegas attacker, Matthew Linvelsberger, to Jabbar. While some early reports citing unnamed sources note both men’s Army service, the FBI says there is no ‘definitive link’ between the two incidents. Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the bureau’s counter-terrorism division, said they’ve received more than 400 tips from the public related to the incident, both from within New Orleans and other states. As the situation develops and investigations are carried out, all this early information may change.
Among scores of others, Ford CEO Jim Farley posted his shock and condolences to Twitter/X on Wednesday.
Jabbar rented a Ford F-150 Lightning on Turo, a San Francisco-based peer-to-peer carsharing company, that was used in the attack. For its part, Turo also said in a statement Wednesday that it was “devastated by these horrible incidents” and would fully cooperate with law enforcement’s investigation into the attack, as well as that in Las Vegas.
As of Thursday afternoon, nine of the victims killed in this attack have been identified:
- Billy DeMaio, 25
- Drew Dauphin
- Matthew Tenedorio
- Nikyra Dedaux, 18
- Reggie Hunter, 37
- Tiger Bech, 28
- Nicole Perez
- Kareem Badawi,
- Hubert Gauthreaux, 21
Investigators are still working to determine the motive behind both the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks, and more information will undoubtedly come to light on these horrible acts of violence in the coming days and weeks.
Bourbon Street reopened to the public Thursday afternoon, while temporary bollards and an increased law enforcement presence prior to the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans’ Superdome, where the University of Georgia and Notre Dame were originally set to play on New Year’s Day.
This story is still developing, so certain elements may not currently be available, or may change as the investigation proceeds.
