Getty ImagesU.S. investigators believe the suspect in the New Orleans attack that killed 15 people on New Year’s Day did not act alone.
Shamsuddin Jabbar, a 42-year-old American national, is believed to have driven his pickup truck into a crowd on a busy street in New Orleans, then got out of his car and opened fire. He was shot dead by police at the scene.
The FBI said an Islamic State group flag was found inside the car he was driving, and two improvised explosive devices were also found nearby.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Alecia Duncan said the agency does not believe Jabbar was “solely responsible” and is investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism.”
President Joe Biden said investigators were looking into whether the attack may be related to the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck that also occurred Wednesday in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. There is nothing to report at this time.”
By evening, New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna confirmed the death toll had risen to 15.
He said it would take several days to perform a full autopsy, after which the victim’s identity would be released.
The university’s athletic department said former Princeton University football player Martin “Tiger” Beck was among those killed.
“There could not have been a more appropriate nickname for the Princeton players I coached,” head football coach Bob Soules said in a statement.
“He was a Tiger in every way: a fierce competitor with boundless energy, a beloved teammate, and a caring friend.”
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. (8:15 p.m. local time) in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a lively nightspot popular with locals and tourists, leaving dozens of people injured.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as possible,” New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said.
A long gun fitted with a “suppression device” that acts as a silencer was also recovered from the scene, and the pickup truck he was driving is believed to have been rented in Texas through an app.
Jabbar was born in Texas and previously served in the U.S. Army.
According to his now-deleted LinkedIn profile, he served in the U.S. Army in various positions, including human resources and IT, before leaving the military.
He studied at George State University from 2015 to 2017 and graduated with a degree in Computer Information Systems.
He also appears to have been in the real estate business and had a license that expired in 2021. He had previous convictions for traffic violations and theft.
Witnesses who were visiting New Orleans’ French Quarter for New Year’s celebrations described the carnage they witnessed.
Whit Davis, from Shreveport, Louisiana, was at a bar with friends on Bourbon Street when the attack occurred.
“People started running and ducking under tables as if it was target practice,” he told the BBC. “…Everyone was in complete shock.”
Jim and Nicole Mourer, who were visiting New Orleans from Iowa, told CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner, that they saw a truck crash through a barricade at high speed, then heard gunshots and a crash. He said he witnessed it.
They tried to help those who appeared to be injured, but found that the victims were already dead.
Getty ImagesA hotel employee told CBS that the hotel was closed for the night, but when he looked out his window he noticed “a bunch of bodies lying on the ground.”
“The truck sped away at a high speed. I immediately ran downstairs to see if anyone could help, but unfortunately some people died in the accident.”
“The scene was just scary,” he added.
US President Joe Biden said his reaction to the attack was one of “anger and frustration.”
The White House said Biden called the mayor this morning and offered “the full support of the federal government.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and first responders on the scene,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said in a post on X.
“A horrific act of violence occurred on Bourbon Street early this morning,” Landry wrote.
The Sugar Bowl, the highly anticipated college football game between the University of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia, was postponed until Thursday as a result of the attack.
