A New Year’s Day car attack in New Orleans resulted in 15 fatalities and numerous injuries, prompting a federal investigation into potential accomplices.
Federal authorities are investigating a New Orleans incident as a terrorist act following a vehicle attack on New Year’s Day. At least 15 people died, and dozens sustained injuries when a US Army veteran drove an SUV into a crowd celebrating the New Year.
The Attack’s Progression
Around 3:15 am on January 1, 2025, chaos erupted in the French Quarter as a white Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck sped through a crowd on Bourbon Street. Witnesses reported the truck swerving into pedestrians before colliding with a construction crane.
Following the crash, the driver engaged in a shootout with responding officers, using an assault rifle. Two officers were injured before law enforcement fatally shot the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
Authorities discovered weapons and suspected explosive devices in the vehicle and nearby, indicating premeditation and raising concerns about possible accomplices.
Casualties and Victims
The attack claimed 15 lives, including the suspect. Twelve died at the scene, and three succumbed to injuries at hospitals. The victims included both locals and tourists.
Thirty-five others were injured, including two officers who suffered gunshot wounds. Several injured individuals remain hospitalized in critical condition.
ISIS-Linked US Army Veteran
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the attacker, was a US Army veteran serving from 2007 to 2020. He served in Afghanistan (2009-2010) and held the rank of staff sergeant.
An ISIS flag found in Jabbar’s vehicle led to the incident’s classification as a potential terrorist act. Officials stated Jabbar converted to Islam recently and may have undergone online radicalization.
Jabbar, from Beaumont, Texas, had a clean criminal record but reportedly displayed erratic behavior recently.
The Hunt for Accomplices
Authorities suspect Jabbar did not act alone. The FBI found evidence suggesting coordination, including pipe bombs possibly linked to a wireless detonator found in his truck.
Potential Link to Cybertruck Explosion
On the same day, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in one death and seven injuries. Both vehicles were rented through the same app, raising concerns about a coordinated attack.
While no confirmed connection exists between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion, federal investigators are exploring a “possible connection,” according to President Biden, who urged against hasty conclusions.
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