At least 15 people were killed after a US army veteran who had expressed a “desire to kill” drove a pick-up truck into crowds of people celebrating New Year in New Orleans before he was fatally shot dead by police.
The FBI said it is investigating the attack in the early hours of Wednesday in the city’s French Quarter as a terrorist act and does not believe the driver acted alone.
Multiple improvised explosive devices – including two pipe bombs hidden inside coolers and wired for remote detonation – were found and made safe, according to Louisiana State Police
The suspect – identified by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas, had driven around safety measures in place to protect pedestrians.
He was fatally shot after getting out of the rented pick-up truck and opening fire on responding police officers, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.
Two officers were also injured in the gun battle and at least 33 other people were hurt in the attack.
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New Orleans suspect ‘says hello’ on old promo vid
A damaged door on Bourbon Street after a suspicious package was detonated. Pic: AP
President Joe Biden, addressing the nation on Wednesday night, said Jabbar had posted a video on social media indicating he had been influenced by Islamic State.
He said the man had expressed a “desire to kill”, adding that: “Our nation grieves with you.”
Associated Press, citing an intelligence bulletin, said the suspect was wearing a ballistic vest and helmet. The flag of the IS group was also found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch, the FBI said.
A handgun and an AR-style rifle were also recovered.
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What we know about the New Orleans attack
A SWAT vehicle in Houston, Texas. Pic: AP
Jabbar served in human resources and IT roles in the US army between 2007 and 2015.
He was deployed to Afghanistan between 2009 and 2010, before moving to the reserves from 2015 to 2020.
US authorities are also investigating whether the attack has any connection to a Tesla cybertruck which exploded outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.
Some of the victims of the attack have been identified.
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First victims named
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A robot is deployed at a location associated with the attacker in Houston, Texas. Pic: AP
Among them were 18-year-old aspiring nurse Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, Princeton graduate Tiger Bech, 27.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has urged people to avoid the area, which remains an active crime scene with a large part of Bourbon Street cordoned off.
The FBI has repeatedly warned about a heightened terrorism threat due to the Israel-Hamas war.