Police officers stand at the scene of a truck plowing into a large crowd on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, on January 1, 2025. Screenshot taken from video.
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A 42-year-old Texas man crashed his pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year’s in New Orleans’ French Quarter and opened fire on police, killing at least 10 people and injuring 35 others early in the morning, the FBI said. attack incident. Possibility of terrorist acts.
The driver, identified by the FBI as Shamsuddin Jabbar, an American citizen from Texas, died at the scene in a shootout with police, but they say he may have been acting in conjunction with others. officials said.
The incident occurred at 3:15 a.m. (9:15 GMT) at the intersection of Canal Street and Bourbon Street, a historic tourist area in the city’s French Quarter known for attracting large crowds with its music and bars. It occurred nearby.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that an ISIS flag was found inside the vehicle, prompting an investigation into possible ties to the terrorist organization. The vehicle appears to have been rented.
“We do not believe that Mr. Jabbar is solely responsible. We are actively pursuing all leads, including his known associates,” FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alecia Duncan told reporters. He spoke at a press conference.
Investigators found a weapon and a potentially explosive device inside the vehicle, and other potentially explosive devices were also found in the French Quarter, the FBI said. Duncan said the two explosive devices were unharmed.
He confirmed the death toll was 10, after US lawmakers said the death toll could be higher.
Officials postponed the Sugar Bowl, a traditional American college football game played in New Orleans every New Year’s Day, for 24 hours, event organizers said. The city is also the site of the NFL Super Bowl on February 9th.
One city leader said the attackers were in full military uniform.
“This is not just an act of terrorism, this is evil,” Police Chief Ann Kirkpatrick said at a news conference.
“He was hell-bent on creating carnage and the damage it caused,” she said at an earlier press conference.
After the crash, the driver swerved around a barricade and shot two police officers from inside the vehicle, Kirkpatrick said. It added that the officers were in stable condition.
“When you look for motives, remember that you can’t attach meaning to evil,” said New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas.
According to police, about 400 police officers were on duty in the French Quarter at the time of the incident.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said, “The situation is fluid, and we are working with numerous local and We’re working with federal law enforcement,” he said on the X show.
Graphic Content / Police investigators surround a white Ford F-150 pickup truck that crashed into a work elevator after allegedly plowing into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 1, 2025.
Matthew Hinton | AFP | Getty Images
“Terrible act”
Verified video taken by an onlooker showed at least two twisted bodies in the street, one lying in what appeared to be a pool of blood. A witness can be seen kneeling over one of the bodies as a group of soldiers wearing green uniforms and carrying firearms pass by.
The injured were taken to at least five hospitals, according to NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency department.
A couple told CBS News they heard a crash from across the street and then saw a white truck drive through a barricade “at a high rate of speed.”
Zion Parsons, 18, told NOLA.com that he and two friends were leaving a restaurant on Bourbon Street when they heard a commotion and saw a white car coming toward them at high speed. spoke.
The man evaded the car, but one of his friends was hit, causing his leg to become “twisted and twisted over and around his back,” police said.
“You just see bodies, human corpses, bleeding and broken bones,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana told CNN that despite the attack, law enforcement in New Orleans was prepared for Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl. “The Superdome is on lockdown,” he said.
Graphic Content / Police investigators surround a white Ford F-150 pickup truck that crashed into a work elevator after allegedly plowing into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 1, 2025.
Matthew Hinton | AFP | Getty Images
In response to vehicle attacks on pedestrian malls around the world, the city of New Orleans is removing and replacing steel bollards that restrict vehicle traffic in the Bourbon Street pedestrian zone. The status of the project was unclear at the time of Wednesday’s attack.
Construction was scheduled to begin in November 2024 and last until February 2025, according to the city’s website.
In Germany, a 50-year-old man was charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder after police said he drove his car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg last month, killing five people and injuring dozens. .
President Joe Biden called the mayor to provide full federal support. President-elect Donald Trump said the next administration would help New Orleans investigate and reverse what he called an act of pure evil.
