On New Year’s Day, a US Army veteran with an ISIS flag flying from his truck veered around temporary barricades and crashed into the congested French Quarter in New Orleans, killing 15 people in an incident that authorities suggested might have been carried out with assistance from others.
After ramming the crowd, the suspect—named Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42—a US citizen from Texas who had previously served in Afghanistan—was shot and killed by police.
About thirty additional individuals were hurt in the attack, including two police officers who were shot by the perpetrator. Around 3:15 a.m. (2:15 p.m. PST), it happened close to the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a famous tourist hotspot with bars and music where many were ringing in the New Year.
Political and law enforcement officials pledged to apprehend any collaborators.
According to the FBI, two possible explosive devices were discovered in the French Quarter and made safe, while police discovered guns and a possible explosive device in the car.
The Sugar Bowl, a traditional college football game that takes place in New Orleans every year on New Year’s Day, was postponed by officials due to the apparent threat. As police searched neighborhoods for hints and swept the city for potential explosive devices, the Notre Dame vs. Georgia game was postponed until Thursday afternoon.
On February 9, the city will also host the NFL Super Bowl.
An inquiry into potential ties to terrorist groups was launched after an ISIS flag was affixed to a staff member sticking out of the rental car’s trailer hitch, according to the FBI.
We don’t think Jabbar was the only one at fault. Investigators are investigating a “range of suspects,” FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan told reporters, adding, “We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.”
Among the fatalities were an 18-year-old Mississippian aspiring nurse, a New York financial employee and successful student-athlete who was spending the holidays at home, and the mother of a 4-year-old who had recently moved into a new apartment after receiving a promotion at work.
Biden denounces the assault
In addition to denouncing what he described as a “despicable” conduct, US President Joe Biden stated that officials were investigating the possibility of a connection to a Tesla truck fire outside a Trump property in Las Vegas. According to Biden, there is currently no proof that the two incidents are related.
Biden stated of the suspect from New Orleans, “The FBI also told me that just hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he’s inspired by ISIS, expressing the desire to kill.”
The suspect taped tapes in which he had dreams about joining ISIS and considered killing his family after a divorce, according to CNN, which cited sources informed on the inquiry.
Before collapsing after a protracted military effort by a coalition led by the United States, ISIS, also known as Islamic State or ISIL, was a prohibited militant organization that terrorized millions of people in Syria and Iraq.
Experts claim that despite being crippled in the field, ISIS has persisted in recruiting supporters online.
According to public records, Jabbar was a Houston real estate agent. Jabbar stated in a promotional film released four years ago that he was born and raised in Beaumont, a city located roughly 130 kilometers east of Houston and that he worked as an IT and human resources specialist for the US military for ten years.
According to an Army official, Jabbar served in the regular Army from March 2007 to January 2015 before joining the Army Reserve in January 2015 and remaining there until July 2020. After serving in Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010, he was promoted to staff sergeant.
“Debris and screaming”
Just 18 meters from the scene of the truck’s collision with some pedestrians, Mike and Kimberly Strickland of Mobile, Alabama, stated they were returning to their hotel after attending a bluegrass music in New Orleans.
In an interview, Kimberly Strickland stated, “There were people everywhere.” “You heard this squeal, the engine revving, this tremendous loud impact, and then the screaming people and the debris—just metal—the sound of bodies and metal crunching.”
According to police, there were some 400 cops on duty in the French Quarter at the time of the incident, some of whom had set up a temporary barricade to keep cars out of the pedestrian area.
The steel bollards that impede traffic in the Bourbon Street area were being removed and replaced in New Orleans in reaction to vehicle attacks on pedestrian malls throughout the world.
Construction was due to be completed in time for the Super Bowl. As a temporary measure, police vehicles and officers attempted to provide a barrier, Kirkpatrick said. “We did indeed have a plan, but the terrorists defeated it,” Kirkpatrick said.
No Comment! Be the first one.