Thursday, January 2, the FBI provided an update on the rampage of a US army veteran in New Orleans. 14 people died and at least 35 were injured when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove his Ford pickup truck into a crowd of people on New Year’s Day.
According to the associated presslaw enforcement confirmed that Shamsud-Din acted alone in the attack. However, he was inspired by the Islamic State group.
AP reports that this is the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in years. The victims included an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former Princeton University football star.
More details on the attack on New Orleans
The FBI also revealed more details about the now-deceased driver, who was a U.S. citizen from Texas. A few hours before the attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar posted five videos on his Facebook account in which he proclaimed his support for the militant group ISIS.
In his videos, Jabbar also warned against the violence he planned to commit in the notorious French Quarter of New Orleans. One clip shows him admitting he initially planned to harm his family and friends. However, he changed his mind because he feared that the news headlines would not focus on the “war between the believers and the unbelievers.”
“It was an act of terrorism. It was a premeditated and evil act,” said Christopher Raia.
Christopher is the Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. He assured the public that Jabbar was “100 percent inspired” by the Islamic State. As mentioned, Jabbar killed 14 people celebrating when he drove around a barricade and slammed into the crowd. He later died during an exchange of fire with police.
According to the FBI, Shamsud-Din Jabbar picked up a rented truck in Houston on December 30 and then drove it to New Orleans the next day. Surveillance video later shows Jabbar placing an improvised explosive device in a cooler along Bourbon Street in the city. However, the agency is confident that no one else seen in the footage helped Jabbar carry out the attack. Investigators still plan to question them as witnesses. Jabbar’s device in the cooler and another device were secured at the scene. The other devices he placed were not functional.
The FBI also recovered a black Islamic State flag from Jabbar’s rented van. In addition, he left a last will and testament, the agency said.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s brother speaks out
As a reminder, Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, serving on active duty in human resources and information technology and deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
Abdur-Rahim JabbarJabbar’s younger brother, told The Associated Press on Thursday that it “doesn’t seem real” that his brother could have done this.
“I never thought it would be him,” he said. “That’s totally unlike him.”
He said his brother had been isolated in recent years but had also been in contact with him and saw no signs of radicalization. “It’s completely contradictory to who he was and how his family and friends know him,” said the brother.
Meanwhile, swipe below to see how President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump reacted to the incident.
FBI cuts connection between New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks
Authorities in New Orleans finished examining the crime scene early Thursday morning, including removing the last bodies. Bourbon Street, famous around the world for its music, outdoor drinks and party atmosphere, reopened its doors early this afternoon.
More than 1,500 miles away in Las Vegas, another incident occurred, killing one person and injuring others. Local police are still investigating whether the incident was a targeted or terrorist attack. However, it has been confirmed that the New Year’s Eve explosion was NOT a mechanical problem with a Cybertruck. The incident took place outside a Trump International hotel.
Raia of the FBI pointed out that there was no connection between what happened in New Orleans and Las Vegas.
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Associated Press journalists who contributed to this report include Eric Tucker, Jim Mustian, Kevin McGill, ack Brook, Stephen Smith, Chevel Johnson, Brett Martel, Jeff Martin, Alanna Durkin Richer, Tara Copp, Zeke Miller, Darlene Superville at New Castle, Colleen Long and Michael R. Sisak.
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