What we know about a vehicle attack on pedestrians in New Orleans that killed at least 15
NEW ORLEANS– Authorities say the suspect is the driver of a pickup truck sped through a crowd of pedestrians gathered early on New Year’s Day in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter, killing at least fifteen people and injuring about thirty other partygoers. The suspect was killed during a shootout with police.
The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and does not believe the driver acted alone.
Wednesday’s attack took place on Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the biggest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties. Large crowds also gathered in the city before the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl which was scheduled for later Wednesday at the nearby Superdome. The match was postponed until Thursday afternoon after the attack.
Here’s what we know about the attack:
Police say the driver sped around a police blockade and raced through a crowd along Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday as revelers gathered to celebrate the New Year. At least 15 people were killed and about 30 were injured. Two police officers injured in a shootout with the suspect were in stable condition.
Authorities also found potential explosives in the French Quarter, the FBI said. Surveillance footage showed three men and a woman planting one of several improvised explosive devices, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.
The FBI said the driver was 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran from Texas.
A flag representing the Islamic State was found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch, the FBI said. The agency is trying to determine whether Jabbar has ties to terrorist organizations.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said at a news conference that the agency does not believe Jabbar acted alone.
Jabbar enlisted in the Army in March 2007 and worked in both human resources and information technology. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010 and was then transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve in 2015, the service said in a statement. Jabbar served until July 2020 and left the army with the rank of staff sergeant.
Court records show that Jabbar faced a deteriorating financial situation in 2022 when he separated from his then-wife. Jabbar said he was $27,000 behind on house payments, had racked up $16,000 in credit card debt and wanted to finalize the divorce quickly.
“I have exhausted all avenues to get the loan current, short of a loan modification, which leaves us with no choice but to sell the house or have it foreclosed,” he wrote in a January email 2022 to the lawyer of his now ex-wife. .
At the time, court documents show he earned about $10,000 a month doing business development and other work for the consulting firm Deloitte. In a statement, Deloitte said Jabbar had “served in a staff-level role” since he was hired in 2021 and that the firm was doing everything it could to assist authorities.
According to the state police bulletin, firearms and pipe bombs were found in the suspect’s vehicle. The devices were hidden in coolers and wired for remote detonation with a remote control that was also found in the vehicle, the bulletin said.
Bourbon Street was filled with revelers toasting the start of 2025 when the attack occurred, authorities said. Crowds also swelled in New Orleans in anticipation of the event Sugar Bowl college football playoff game between No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame. That game was postponed until Thursday.
City documents show New Orleans is in the midst of a major post-like removal and replacement project barriers called bollards designed to prevent vehicle attacks along Bourbon Street. That project started in November and involves replacing old posts with new removable stainless steel posts.
Wednesday’s attack in new orleans is the final example of a vehicle being used as a weapon to commit mass violence. This trend has alarmed law enforcement officials because it can be difficult to protect against such attacks. Last month is one 50 year old Saudi doctor was plowed into a Christmas market full of holiday visitors in the German city of Magdeburg, killing four women and a 9-year-old boy.
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Associated Press reporter Tara Copp contributed from Washington.
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This story has been corrected to show that the Sugar Bowl has been moved to Thursday afternoon, not Thursday evening.