Federal authorities in the US on Thursday were investigating whether a deadly car-ramming attack in New Orleans early on New Year's Day was an act of terrorism.
The FBI said the driver who killed at least 14 people and injured more than 35 was Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a citizen from Texas who served in the US Army.
President Joe Biden called the attack espicable shortly after the attack and said the suspect "posted several videos just several hours before the attack indicated his strong support for ISIS".
Authorities said they were investigating the incident “as an act of terrorism” and that an ISIS flag had been found on the pick-up truck.
The act is the latest incident of a vehicle being used as a weapon against people, and it could be the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on US soil in years. It appears the group has not claimed responsibility or links to the attacker.
What could be a home-made bomb was found in the vehicle and others were discovered in the city's French Quarter, where the attack took place, the FBI said.
The incident, which occurred at 3.15am during New Year celebrations, took place at the junction of Canal Street and Bourbon Street, city authorities said. Witnesses said the vehicle hit the crowd at high speed, before the driver got out and started firing a weapon, with police returning fire, broadcaster CBS reported. The driver was killed.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick said. “He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did. This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil.”
Two police officers wounded in the incident are in a stable condition and the FBI has taken over operational command of the investigation, she said.
FBI agent Alethea Duncan said the driver may have had help. “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” she said. “What I can tell you is that the person was an army veteran. We believe he was honourably discharged but we are working through this process to figure out all this information.”
The FBI said it was carrying out search warrants in the Louisiana city “and other states”. The bureau's field office in Houston, Texas, said it was also conducting activity “related” to the New Orleans attack.
Driver ploughs into New Year's crowd in New Orleans – in pictures
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This undated photo provided by the FBI shows the suspect Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar. -
The incident occurred at 3.15am during New Year celebrations. Reuters -
A fire truck and a police vehicle operate near the site where people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year's celebrations, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. January 1, 2025. REUTERS/Octavio Jones -
Emergency personnel attend the scene. AP -
Witnesses said the vehicle hit the crowd at high speed, before the driver got out and started firing a weapon. AP -
A coroner's van is parked at the scene. -
A cyclist passes a police barricade near the scene. AP -
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell speaks to journalists about the attack. AP
Witness Kevin Garcia, 22, told CNN that he saw a truck slamming into people on a pavement and heard gunshots. “A body came flying at me,” he said. Another, Whit Davis, told the network that he heard people yelling and running to the back as he was leaving a nightclub.
“When they finally let us out of the club, police waved us where to walk and were telling us to get out of the area fast. I saw a few dead bodies they couldn’t even cover up and tonnes of people receiving first aid,” said Mr Davis, 22.
Jabbar served in the US Army as a human resources 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 official.
He was posted to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010, the official said. He also enlisted in the US Navy in August 2004 under a delayed entry programme but was discharged a month later, a Navy official told Reuters.
Officials have not yet disclosed the identities of the 14 people killed in the attack, but their families and friends have begun to release names. The victims include former Princeton University American football athlete Martin “Tiger” Bech.
“He was a tiger in every way – a ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend,” head coach Bob Surace said, according to the Princeton Football website. “Our last conversation was about how proud I was of the growth he showed during his time at Princeton and the success he was having after graduation. My love goes to the entire Bech family.”
Other victims named include 18-year-old nursing student Nikyra Dedeaux, 37-year-old father of two Reggie Hunter from nearby Baton Rouge, and Nicole Perez, a single mother of a four-year-old son.
After being briefed on the incident on Wednesday, Mr Biden said he was "grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury".
"I have directed my team 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," he said. “My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities.”
Steve Scalise, a high-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives for Louisiana, responded to the incident by offering prayers.
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that his incoming administration would “fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil”.
There was also a deadly explosion outside a Las Vegas hotel owned by Mr Trump.
The FBI was looking into whether the Las Vegas explosion caused by fireworks in a Tesla Cybertruck was connected to the New Orleans attack. Mr Biden told reporters on Thursday: "They have not found any evidence of such a connection."
New Orleans has experienced shootings and cars ramming into crowds at parades. In November last year, two people were killed and 10 injured in two separate shootings along a New Orleans parade route and celebration attended by thousands.
In February 2017, a pick-up truck driven by a man who police said appeared highly intoxicated ploughed into spectators watching the city's main Mardi Gras parade, injuring more than 20 people.
