The FBI has identified U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, as the driver in the New Orleans New Year’s terror attack; plus sources say multiple people were reportedly seen on surveillance footage planting explosives before the attack, and President Joe Biden and 2024 President-elect Donald Trump address the nation.
RELATED: 10 Dead, 35 Injured In New Orleans After Truck Plowed Through Crowd Early New Year’s Day
As we previously shared, around 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1), a driver behind the wheel of a pickup truck rammed their vehicle into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New New Orleans and then exited the truck and opened fire, killing at least 15 people and injuring nearly 3 dozen.
According to The Associated Press, the FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar — a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran whose most recent address traces back to a white mobile home in Houston, Texas. A U.S. official reported that Shamsud-Din Jabbar left the Army in 2015, but it was not immediately clear if he went into the Reserve after that. However, during his tenure, he served as an information technology specialist.
The AP reported that a photo circulated among law enforcement officials showed a bearded Jabbar wearing camouflage next to the truck after he was killed by police in the aftermath of the New Orleans New Year’s terror attack. The FBI also reported that an Islamic State group flag was recovered from a trailer hitch on Jabbar’s pickup truck, which officials said was rented using the app Turo.
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Steve Webb, Turo’s Vice President of Communications told The AP, “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.”
The FBI later reported that they did not believe that the U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar acted alone in the New Orleans New Year’s terror attack; and supporting that theory was a report from a Louisiana State Police bulletin, obtained by The Associated Press, that reported a surveillance footage showing multiple planting explosive devices around the area of the New Orleans New Year’s terror attack.
The AP reported that investigators reviewed footage showing “three men and a woman planting an improvised explosive device in connection with the car attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter.”
President Joe Biden and 2024 President-elect Donald Trump also addressed the nation on the terror attack. Taking to Truth Social, Trump said, “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!.”
Later in the day, Joe Biden addressed the nation and in part said, “To all the families of those who were killed, to all those who were injured, to all the people of New Orleans who are grieving today, I want you to know I grieve with you. I know I can speak for all Americans when I say our hearts are with the people of New Orleans after the despicable attack that occurred in the early morning hours.”
He added, “The law enforcement and intelligence community are continuing to look for any connections, associations or co-conspirators. We have nothing additional to report at this time. The investigation is continuing to be active and no one should jump to conclusions. I’ve directed my Attorney General, the FBI Director, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Head of the National Counterintelligence and Terrorism Center, and the Intelligence Community to work on this intensively until we have full and complete information. And once we have that information, I will share that information as soon as we can confirm it.”
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