At least 15 killed, dozens hurt on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as driver intentionally slams truck into crowd
A man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter early on New Year's Day, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others, officials said. A black ISIS flag was flying from the truck's rear bumper, and the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
The man driving the vehicle has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, the FBI said.
In televised remarks Wednesday evening, President Biden said the FBI has determined that just hours before the attack, Jabbar "posted videos to social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill."
The vehicle was an electric Ford pickup truck that appears to have been rented, the FBI said. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on social media Jabbar rented the truck on Dec. 30, while living in the Houston area, before heading to New Orleans.
FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that investigators "do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible" for the attack, and the FBI believes he may have had help carrying it out. Duncan said the FBI is looking at a "range of suspects" and does "not want to rule anything out" at this stage of the investigation. The FBI is also working to determine his potential affiliations or associations with terrorist associations.
A person familiar with the investigation told CBS News that at this point, neither ISIS nor any other foreign terror organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attacker drove around barricades and up onto the sidewalk of Bourbon Street, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said, avoiding barriers that had been placed by police. Kirkpatrick said the man "was trying to run over as many people as he could."
"We had a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and he still got around," Kirkpatrick said.
The man then exited the car and opened fire on officers, the FBI official said. He died after exchanging gunfire with three responding officers, the FBI said. He was struck by police fire and declared dead at the scene, the New Orleans Police Department said. Two police officers were hit by gunfire but were in stable condition.
Weapons and two potential improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were located in the vehicle, Duncan said. At least one other IED was found in the French Quarter, and was detonated by law enforcement, a person familiar with the investigation said. The number of IEDs left behind is a large part of why the FBI believes the man may have had an accomplice, sources tell CBS News. Investigators are combing through video to see if there were accomplices involved in placing the devices, sources told CBS News.
Further sweeps by law enforcement did not find any more IEDs, Duncan said. Kirkpatrick said police walked the area as a grid, looking for any suspicious items. Anyone who sees anything suspicious should contact officials, Duncan said.
A long gun was recovered from the scene, law enforcement sources told CBS News. The long gun had a "suppressive device" on it that acted as a silencer, according to sources on the scene.
Two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News the man was wearing body armor.
Investigators from the FBI, Homeland Security and bomb squad have all been on the scene at an Airbnb in the St. Roch area of New Orleans, where officials tell CBS News the suspect was staying while in New Orleans. That building caught fire on Wednesday and the investigation into that fire is ongoing.
Duncan asked that anyone with information about the man contact the FBI. A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News that he had previously served in the U.S. military.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called it "a horrific act of violence" and said he and his wife were "praying for all the victims and first responders on scene." He urged people to avoid the area.
"As of now, 15 people are deceased. It will take several days to perform all autopsies. Once we complete the autopsies and talk with the next of kin, we will release the identifications of the victims," New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said in a statement.
The popular tourist district was full of New Year's Day revelers at the time of the attack.
Witnesses told CBS News reporter Kati Weis that a white truck crashed into people on Bourbon Street at high speed, and the driver then started firing a weapon from inside the vehicle, with police returning fire. Weis saw multiple people on the ground being treated for injuries near the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets.
The City of New Orleans said in a statement posted online that 30 people were transported to area hospitals with injuries and 10 people were confirmed dead. Kirkpatrick later said that at least 35 people were hospitalized.
"He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," Kirkpatrick said.
Duncan said the FBI will be leading the investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Justice Department's National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will work with the FBI and local officials to support the investigation, Attorney General Merrick Garland said. President Biden was briefed about the attack, the White House said, and his administration has been in touch with Cantrell to offer support.
Biden said in a statement he has directed his administration to "ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind."
"My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday," Biden said. "There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities."
President-elect Donald Trump also acknowledged the attack in a post on TruthSocial.
"Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department," Trump said, in part.
The Sugar Bowl college football playoff game was set to be played at the nearby Superdome later Wednesday, but has been rescheduled for Thursday night. Kirkpatrick said bomb sweeps have been conducted at the Superdome, and said the stadium would be locked down until the game.
Jeff Hundley, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sugar Bowl, announced the delay at Thursday's news conference. More details about the rescheduled game will be available in the coming hours, he said.
"We live in the fun and games world, with what we do, but we certainly recognize the importance of this and we're going to support it 100%," Hundley said.
A student from the University of Georgia, one of the teams playing in the game, was "critically injured" in the attack, according to a statement from the school on social media. The student was not identified.
Jim and Nicole Mowrer were in New Orleans visiting from Iowa and witnessed the incident. The couple told CBS News they had watched the city's fireworks display and were enjoying the New Year's Day atmosphere in the French Quarter when they heard crashing noises coming from down the street. They said they then saw a white truck slam through a barricade "at a high rate of speed," followed by gunfire and police. The couple said the truck hit people about a block away from where they had been walking.
"Once the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of — several people who had been hit, [we] wanted to see what we could do to help," Nicole Mowrer said. She said the couple found the victims had died.
The Mowrers said the victims they saw had injuries from the truck impact, and they did not see any apparent gunshot wounds. They said they left the area once emergency responders started arriving.
In a 2017 memo reviewed by CBS News, the city of New Orleans had acknowledged the risk of a mass casualty incident in the crowded, tourist-friendly French Quarter. The memo specifically referenced vehicle attacks in Nice, France, London, England and New York City. To minimize risk, the city said it planned to establish a camera and surveillance program, a centralized command center, more police patrols and infrastructure upgrades. The city had been in the process of upgrading the pedestrian bollard system in the French Quarter to modernize and bolster protections, with work ongoing through February.
Kati Weis, Andres Triay, Pat Milton, Nicole Sganga, Anna Schecter, Robert Legare and Rhona Tarrant contributed to this report.
Islamic State-inspired driver expressed desire to kill before deadly New Orleans rampage, Biden says
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A U.S. Army veteran driving a pickup truck that bore the flag of the Islamic State group wrought carnage on New Orleans’ raucous New Year’s celebration, killing 15 people as he steered around a police blockade and slammed into revelers before being shot dead by police.
The FBI said it was investigating the attack early Wednesday as a terrorist act and did not believe the driver acted alone. Investigators found guns and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle, along with other devices elsewhere in the city’s famed French Quarter.
President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening that the FBI found videos that the driver had posted to social media hours before the attack in which he said he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressed a desire to kill.
The rampage turned festive Bourbon Street into a macabre mayhem of maimed victims, bloodied bodies and pedestrians fleeing for safety inside nightclubs and restaurants. In addition to the dead, dozens of people were hurt. A college football playoff game at the nearby Superdome was postponed until Thursday.
Zion Parsons, 18, of Gulfport, Mississippi, said he saw the truck “barreling through, throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air.”
“Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and hollering,” said Parsons, whose friend Nikyra Dedeaux was among the people killed.
“This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.
The driver “defeated” safety measures in place to protect pedestrians, Kirkpatrick said, and was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
The FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, and said it was working to determine any potential associations with terrorist organizations.
“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan said at a news conference.
Investigators found multiple improvised explosives, including two pipe bombs that were concealed within coolers and wired for remote detonation, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.
The bulletin, relying on preliminary information gathered soon after the attack, also cited surveillance footage that it said showed three men and a woman placing one of the devices, but federal officials did not immediately confirm that detail and it wasn’t clear who they were or what connection they had to the attack, if any.
Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck onto a sidewalk, going around a police car that was positioned to block vehicular traffic, authorities said. A barrier system meant to prevent vehicle attacks was being repaired in preparation for the Super Bowl in February.
Jabbar was killed by police after he exited the truck and opened fire on responding officers, Kirkpatrick said. Three officers returned fire. Two were shot and are in stable condition.
Investigators recovered a handgun and AR-style rifle, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
There were also deadly explosions in Honolulu and outside a Las Vegas hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump. Biden said the FBI was looking into whether the Las Vegas explosion was connected to the New Orleans attack but had “nothing to report” as of Wednesday evening.
A photo circulated among law enforcement officials showed a bearded Jabbar wearing camouflage next to the truck after he was killed. The intelligence bulletin obtained by the AP said he was wearing a ballistic vest and helmet. The flag of the Islamic State group was on the truck’s trailer hitch, the FBI said.
“For those people who don’t believe in objective evil, all you have to do is look at what happened in our city early this morning,” U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said. “If this doesn’t trigger the gag reflex of every American, every fair-minded American, I’ll be very surprised.”
Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, serving on active duty in human resources and information technology and deploying to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, the service said. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
Hours after the attack, several coroner’s office vans were parked on the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets, cordoned off by police tape with crowds of dazed tourists standing around, some trying to navigate their luggage through the labyrinth of blockades.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry urged people to avoid the area, which remained an active crime scene.
“We looked out our front door and saw caution tape and dead silence and it’s eerie,” said Tessa Cundiff, an Indiana native who moved to the French Quarter a few years ago. “This is not what we fell in love with, it’s sad.”
Nearby, life went on as normal in the city known to some for a motto that translates to “let the good times roll.” At a cafe a block from where the truck came to rest, people crowded in for breakfast as upbeat pop music played. Two blocks away, people drank at a bar, seemingly as if nothing happened.
Biden, speaking from the presidential retreat at Camp David, called the attack a “despicable” and “heinous act.” Addressing the victims and the people of New Orleans, he said: “I want you to know I grieve with you. Our nation grieves with you as you mourn and as you heal.”
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday,” Biden said in an earlier written statement. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”
The attack is the latest example of a vehicle being used as a weapon to carry out mass violence and the deadliest IS-inspired assault on U.S. soil in years.
FBI officials have repeatedly warned about an elevated international terrorism threat due to the Israel-Hamas war. In the last year, the agency has disrupted other potential attacks, including in October when it arrested an Afghan man in Oklahoma for an alleged Election Day plot targeting large crowds.
Tucker reported from Washington, D.C. and Mustian reported from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Associated Press reporters Stephen Smith, Chevel Johnson and Brett Martel in New Orleans; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Alanna Durkin Richer, Tara Copp and Zeke Miller in Washington, D.C.; Darlene Superville in New Castle, Delaware; Colleen Long in West Palm Beach, Florida; and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.
Who was Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in New Orleans truck attack?
Jan 1 (Reuters) - Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old Texas man accused of crashing a truck into New Year's Day revelers in New Orleans, killing 15 and injuring dozens of people, served in the U.S. Army for 13 years including a deployment to Afghanistan, the Army said.
Federal officials and local law enforcement in New Orleans said that Jabbar did not act alone and that they are looking for accomplices. The FBI said Jabbar had an Islamic State flag on his truck and view the attack as a potential act of terrorism. The Islamic State, or ISIS, is a Sunni Muslim militant group which has carried out attacks throughout the world.
While the investigation is ongoing, so far no information has surfaced to explain why Jabbar, a U.S. citizen raised in Texas, would carry out the New Orleans attack. Jabbar died at the scene in a shootout with police, officials said.
Jabbar served in the Army as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from 2007 until 2015. He then joined the Army Reserve as an IT specialist until 2020, holding the rank of staff sergeant at the end of service, according to an Army official.
Jabbar deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010, the official said.
Before serving in the Army, Jabbar enlisted in the Navy in August 2004 under a delayed entry program but was discharged a month later, a Navy official told Reuters.
Corporate records show that Jabbar got involved in a series of businesses in recent years.
In a promotional video for a real estate business posted to YouTube in 2020, a man with the same name as the suspect said his time in the military had taught him the importance of great service and taking everything seriously.
"I've taken those skills and applied them to my career as a real estate agent, where I feel like what really sets me apart from other agents is my ability to be able to one be a fierce negotiator," he said, encouraging clients to give him a call.
In the video, the man introduced himself as a manager at Blue Meadow Properties LLC, a Texas-based company whose license expired in 2022. He was registered as a real estate sales agent for four years through February 2023, records show.
He said he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas.
Reuters was unable to reach anyone at the number provided by Jabbar in the video. Attempts to contact Jabbar's relatives were also unsuccessful.
The FBI believes Jabbar rented the Ford pickup truck he used to ram into the crowd in New Orleans' French Quarter in the early hours of Wednesday. Jabbar then opened fire on police, injuring 35 in addition to the at least 10 people who have died.
The ISIS flag on the truck prompted an investigation into possible links to terrorist organizations. Investigators found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, as well as other potential explosive devices in the French Quarter.
"We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan told a briefing on Wednesday.
Court records show Jabbar was divorced in 2022, separating from his wife of five years. The couple had one child.
He does not appear to have a violent criminal record prior to the attack. According to Texas records, Jabbar was charged with a misdemeanor in 2002 for a property theft and arrested in 2005 for driving with an invalid license.
Ex-Princeton football player Tiger Bech killed in New Orleans truck attack
NEW ORLEANS -- Former Princeton football player Tiger Bech, an All-Ivy League kick returner, was among those killed in the deadly pickup truck attack early Wednesday in New Orleans.
Bech's brother, former TCU receiver Jack Bech, addressed his older brother's death in a post on his X account Wednesday.
"Love you always brother!" Jack Bech wrote. "You inspired me everyday now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family T, don't worry. This is for us."
Princeton Tigers coach Bob Surace told ESPN on Wednesday that he had been texting with Bech's father, Martin, sharing memories of his former player.
"He might be the first Tiger to ever play for us, and that nickname kind of described him as a competitor," Surace said. "He was somebody that somehow, like in the key moments, just excelled and was full of energy, full of life."
Bech was a receiver and kick returner at Princeton from 2017 to 2019. During his three-year career at Princeton, Bech caught 53 passes for 825 yards with three touchdowns.
Bech was working as a stockbroker in New York and was in New Orleans for the holidays.
"He was just starting a successful career in the business world," Surace said. "There were two or three times we had career nights, and you could call him with a day's notice, and he came down and shared his experiences as a young professional with our team."
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. CT Wednesday in New Orleans' bustling French Quarter district. At least 15 people were killed, and dozens more were injured.
The driver of the vehicle was killed in a firefight with police following the attack, the FBI said, adding that it was heading an investigation "with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism."
Pelicans coach Willie Green 'devastated' by New Orleans truck attack: 'A senseless act of violence'
New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green said he was "devastated" to wake up to the news of the truck attack that claimed at least 15 lives on New Orleans' Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year's Day.
Green, ahead of his team's 119-108 road loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, called the attack a "senseless act of violence."
Around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, a man now identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, drove a pickup truck around barricades and onto the sidewalk of Bourbon Street at a high rate of speed. He then exited the car and opened fire on police officers, who fatally wounded him during the exchange. At least 15 people have died as of Wednesday night and over 30 were injured. The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the FBI said.
"Devastated. Obviously our hearts and our prayers, our thoughts go out to all the families that are impacted by a senseless act of violence," Green said. "We discussed it a bit with our players. But we're just living in times and in a world where you don't know where you're safe. Schools, churches, people should be able to go out and have a good time and walk the streets. It's devastating. And I can only imagine what those families are going through, what they have to deal with now for the rest of their lives."
Green told reporters he found out about the attack after receiving a "happy New Year" text from his father.
"I got a text from my dad this morning and he was wishing me a happy new year, but saying he was praying for all the people in New Orleans. I didn't know what he was talking about at the time," Green said. "And then I read the news and saw what was going on."
The fourth-year Pelicans coach said it can be hard to focus on a game after such a tragic event takes place.
"At times it can be difficult. We've had these kind of attacks in this country. Obviously it hits a little closer to home with it being in New Orleans," Green said. "When you're able to take yourself out of this bubble and realize there's so much more going on in this world that's impacting people and impacting their lives, sometimes it can be difficult to make basketball as big as it is."
The Pelicans play their home games at Smoothie King Center, just about a mile from where the attack occurred. Early on Wednesday, the Pelicans and New Orleans Saints, both owned by Gayle Benson, put out a joint statement.
"The New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred on Bourbon Street early on New Year's Day. Our hearts go out to all victims and their families during this difficult time and [we] express our deepest gratitude to the first responders who acted swiftly and bravely on the scene," the statement said.
"New Orleans is a city built on resilience, and this heartbreaking event reminds us of the importance of coming together to support one another, to honor those affected, and to work toward healing as a community. In times of tragedy, the New Orleans community has always shown extraordinary courage and compassion, and we are certain that this time will be no different."
The Pelicans' next home game is scheduled for Friday night against the Washington Wizards. As of now, the contest is expected to be played as scheduled, though that is subject to change.
Authorities found multiple bombs after New Orleans truck attack that killed 15
The terror attack in New Orleans has claimed 15 lives. It could have been much worse.
Via Gabbriella Killet of the New Orleans Times Picayune, two bombs were found by police in the aftermath of the driving of a truck through a crowd celebrating the New Year early Wednesday. Dozens were injured.
The driver of the truck, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was shot and killed by authorities.
A homemade pipe bomb with nails and plastic explosive in an ice chest was found near police cars parked at the corner of Orleans and Bourbon Street, near police cars. Another bomb was found in the 600 block of Bourbon Street.
The remote control for the two devices was found in the truck, along with additional explosive materials.
A second vehicle was following the truck. It was registered to the driver of the truck. Surveillance footage showed three men and one woman placing the first device.
State and federal officials searched the driver's address, but found nothing. Another address linked to the driver was on fire. Police determined it was arson. Bomb-making material was found there.
Both vehicles have a history of multiple crossings of the Mexico border, in two locations in Texas.
The Sugar Bowl was postponed by one day. The Superdome was on lockdown for a day, allowing for a full search of the facility.
"My heart is broken for the loss of a lot of innocent lives," Broncos coach Sean Payton told reporters on Wednesday. Payton coached the Saints for 16 years, from 2006 through 2021. "It’s just gut-wrenching news, especially this time of year. There’s no great time of the year, but when it happens when so many people are down there for the bowl game and down there for the New Years festivities. I hate it.”
As bad as it was, the killing of the driver by police likely kept the bombs from being detonated.
The search for the others involved in the incident continues.
