Suspect identified after driver kills ten, injures dozens in Bourbon Street truck attack
At least 10 people are dead and dozens injured after a driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans on Wednesday.
Police sources identified the driver as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar of Texas. He reportedly jumped out of the vehicle and opened fire on police after hitting the crowd early Wednesday morning. The brief shootout ended with the suspect dead at the scene, authorities confirmed. Police say 35 people have been transported to five hospitals across the city after suffering injuries from the attack.
Sources say there was an ISIS flag inside Jabbar’s vehicle during the attack. Authorities are still seeking up to five other individuals in relation to the attack.
“The subject has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which appears to have been rented and we are working to confirm how the subject came into possession of the vehicle. An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle and the FBI is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations. Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject’s vehicle. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter,” the FBI said in a statement.
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At a press conference on Wednesday, FBI Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan revealed that Jabbar was a veteran who served in the U.S. Army.
“What I can tell you, the person was an Army veteran,” Duncan said. “We believe he was [an] honorable discharge. But we’re working through this process to figure out all this information.”
Turo, the company that Jabbar rented the vehicle from, says they are actively working with the FBI in its investigation.
“We are heartbroken to learn that one of our host’s vehicles was involved in this awful incident. We are actively partnering with the FBI. We are not currently aware of anything in this guest’s background that would have identified him as a trust and safety threat to us at the time of the reservation,” Turo said in a statement.
Police say two officers were injured in the attack, but both remain in stable condition. It is unclear whether they were injured by the vehicle or during the shootout.
President-elect Trump also addressed the attack in a statement, vowing to help authorities to investigate the attack after he takes office.
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true. The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!” Trump said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that the FBI is investigating the incident as a terrorist attack.
“The FBI is investigating this matter as an act of terrorism. The FBI, the ATF, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and will deploy every available resource to conduct this investigation,” he added.
Police sources also confirmed to Fox News Digital that they found multiple explosive devices at the scene that appeared to be viable.
A front desk employee at a hotel at the site of the attack told Fox News that she heard two “soft bangs” shortly after arriving to work at 6 a.m. She said she did not know whether police were sweeping for explosives.
President Biden says he has been “continually briefed” on the attack since early Wednesday morning and is in contact with Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas and other top administration officials.
“I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities,” Biden said in a statement.
The incident happened around 3:15 a.m. at the intersection of Bourbon Street and Iberville, local news station WGNO reported.
Former FBI Special Agent Chris Swecker told Fox News Digital that New Orleans has “always been a problematic police department.”
“This type of event is indeed predictable, and it is fundamental that you protect the highest concentration of people at the event. You have to question how a truck got through the perimeter. I can see a lone gunman getting through, it’s hard to fathom a truck breaching that perimeter. I suspect they were protecting the perimeter with wooden barriers,” Swecker said.
“I can guarantee you in Times Square last night they were protecting that perimeter with vehicles and solid objects. Security is a tough thing when you haven’t had an event like this in your Venue in a while but the fact is this has happened twice in New Orleans since 2017,” he added.
The mayor’s office confirmed to local media that the vehicle barriers intended to prevent terrorist attacks on Bourbon Street were being replaced during the attack.
Bob Simms, who oversaw French Quarter security until recently, said the old barriers erected in 2017 were not effective.
“They were very ineffective. The track was always full of crap; beads and doubloons and God knows what else. Not the best idea,” Simms told NOLA. “Eventually everybody realized the need to replace them. They’re in the process of doing that, but the new ones are not yet operational.”
Prior to the Wednesday morning attack, the New Orleans Police Department had said they would be all hands on deck for security throughout the city on New Year’s Eve, in addition to bringing 300 additional officers from other law enforcement groups.
Police also noted that they were ramping up security for the Sugar Bowl, which is set to take place later Wednesday.
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said in a statement.
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement, “a horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning.”
“Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., condemned the attack as “evil” and urged the federal government to provide resources to investigate.
Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., also mourned the attack in a statement, saying New Orleans “will rise again, stronger and more united.”
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“I commend the swift actions of the New Orleans Police Department and federal law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to neutralize the threat and secure the area. Their bravery and dedication prevented further loss of life. As we continue to learn more about this tragedy, including the motive behind such senseless violence, I am committed to working with local and federal authorities to ensure justice for the victims and to strengthen measures that safeguard our communities against acts of terror,” he said in a statement.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report