Law enforcement and federal agencies are investigating whether the New Orleans attacker, identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, who drove a pickup truck into crowds on Bourbon and Canal Streets, had ties to ISIS. The Times-Picayune reported Din Jabbar, 42, who wore full military gear and body armor, left at least 12 dead (including himself) and 36 injured in the terrorist attack, which caused chaos and devastation throughout the French Quarter.
At the scene, viable explosive devices were discovered, adding to the severity of the attack. Witnesses reported that a black flag, resembling a jihadist flag, was attached to the back of the suspect’s truck, a detail that has fueled rampant speculation about his motives.
The gunman bypassed barricades before launching the assault on a bustling holiday crowd. Investigators are working to piece together his background and any affiliations with terrorist networks.
The Independent has additional details, including the FBI’s acknowledgment that the are investigating this morning’s massacre as “an act of terrorism”:
In a press conference on Wednesday morning, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the incident as a “terrorist attack,” urging residents to stay away from the area as it was still an active scene. The FBI, however, initially said it was not clear that it was a terrorist event but that an improvised explosive device was found with the suspect. NBC News later reported that the FBI is now investigating this as “potential terrorism” before the FBI revealed they were investigating the mass casualty event as terrorism.
“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others,” the FBI said in a statement after Wednesday’s press conference. “The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
New Orleans Superintendent of Police Anne Kirkpatrick said that the perpetrator exhibited “very intentional behavior” by slamming into the crowd “at a very fast pace” and that it was not a DUI, adding that the man shot at police officers after he crashed his vehicle, leaving two officers injured. Both officers that were shot are stable, according to Kirkpatrick.
“Last night, we had over 300 officers out here, and because of the intentional mindset of this perpetrator – who went around our barricades in order to conduct this. He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick added. She added that most of the casualties appeared to be local residents of the city and not tourists. “This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could.”
This latest instance of global terrorism has reignited discussions about domestic security threats. In a recent interview on The Shawn Ryan Show, global security expert Sara Adams warned of evolving terrorist strategies. Adams highlighted intelligence gaps and increasing risks posed by international actors, including the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS. She predicted a grim trend of hybrid tactics, with ISIS favoring ground-level mass casualty attacks, akin to the 2008 Mumbai shootings, while Al Qaeda continues targeting landmarks with suicide bombings.
Is this an ISIS Flag at the back of the truck? Sarah Adams specifically said that the next attacks will be ISIS & Al Queda combined with ISIS focusing on ground mass casualty fighter tactics similar to Mumbai (on the ground shootings) while Al Queda will be going for the suicide… pic.twitter.com/G6gvriN46w
— Johnny St.Pete (@JohnMcCloy) January 1, 2025
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Thank you for your article. Maybe Joe Biden can explain this.
Sad way to start the new year. The only good thing about it is that at least the murderer is in Hell where he belongs.
To bad the New orleans, PORK EATER, had to be killed, if he could have been captured, information could have been obtained.