Ten people were killed and 35 others injured when a man drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ French Quarter in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day. Here’s what we know about what officials called a “terrorist attack” and the deceased suspect.
Who did it?
The suspect was identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old man, according to multiple reports. He was killed in a shootout with police officers after wrecking his truck.
An ISIS flag was found in the suspect’s car, sources told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He was dressed in military gear and wearing body armor, cops said. An assault-style rifle and a handgun were also found near his body.
Additional information about him was not immediately available.
Who was killed?
The 10 deceased victims have not been publicly identified. New Orleans’ French Quarter is a major attraction on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and the area was even more crowded than usual even at 3:15 a.m. when the attack occurred.
Among the 35 injured people, 33 were everyday citizens and two were police officers who engaged in a firefight with the suspect after his truck stopped. They have not been publicly identified either.
Additionally, New Orleans was swarmed by college football fans ahead of Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl, a playoff game between Notre Dame and Georgia. The game will go ahead as scheduled.
What was the motive?
Authorities are investigating the attack as an act of terrorism. FBI agents on the scene found at least one suspected improvised explosive device and were sweeping the area for other potential bombs.
“It was very intentional behavior. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said. She described the suspect as “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
New Orleans had installed barriers around Bourbon Street in 2017 to prevent such an attack, but they were taken down recently as part of a renovation project. Prior to Wednesday’s attack, the work was expected to be completed before the city hosted the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
With News Wire Services
