New Orleans attack: What we know so far

Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar was reportedly inspired by ISIS before the car-ramming attack on New Year's Day

A soldier on Dauphine Street in New Orleans on January 2, after the car-ramming attack. AP

Questions remain after a driver sped through a crowd of pedestrians on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter as people were celebrating the New Year. The FBI is investigating the assault as an act of terrorism.

The National takes a look at what we know so far about the attack:

What happened?

Police said the driver steered around a police blockade and raced through a crowd along Bourbon Street at about 3.15am on Wednesday as revellers celebrated the New Year. At least 14 people were killed and dozens were injured. Two police officers were wounded in a shootout with the driver, who was killed.

Suspected explosive devices were also discovered in the French Quarter, the FBI said. Surveillance footage showed three men and a woman placing one of several improvised explosive devices in different locations, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by AP.

The FBI had previously said it believed Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar had not acted alone, but it reversed its opinion on Thursday.

"Today, the FBI briefed me that, as of now, we have no information that anyone else is involved in the attack," President Joe Biden told reporters.

Who is the driver and what was his motive?

The FBI said Jabbar was a US citizen and army veteran from Texas. An ISIS flag was found on the pick-up truck's tow bar, the FBI said. The agency said Jabbar had posted five videos on his Facebook account in the hours before the attack, in which he aligned himself with ISIS and said he had joined the militant group last summer.

In one video, the FBI said the attacker expressed a desire to kill his friends and family, but wanted to attack Bourbon Street so the media headlines would focus on what he called the war between “believers and disbelievers".

“He was 100 per cent inspired by ISIS,” FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia said.

Mr Biden later said that federal authorities and the intelligence community "are actively investigating any foreign or domestic contact connection" that may be relevant to the attack.

New Orleans car attack investigated as act of terrorism

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Jabbar served more than 10 years in the military as a human resources specialist and an IT specialist, according to the Pentagon, which said he had been posted to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. He then transferred into the US Army Reserve in 2015, the service said in a statement. Jabbar served until July 2020, leaving the military with the rank of staff sergeant.

He held a degree in computing from Georgia State University and lived in Houston, Texas, where he had worked as a real estate agent.

Court records show Jabbar faced a deteriorating financial situation in 2022 while separating from his then-wife. He was reportedly $27,000 behind on house payments, had accumulated $16,000 in credit card debt and wanted to quickly finalise the divorce.

At the time, court documents showed he made about $10,000 a month doing business development and other work for the consulting firm Deloitte.

What have authorities learnt in their investigation?

Guns and pipe bombs were found in the suspect's vehicle, according to the state police bulletin. The devices were concealed inside coolers and wired for detonation with a remote control that also was found in the vehicle.

ISIS flag in truck used in New Orleans crowd-ram attack

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Where did the attack occur?

The car-ramming took place in the heart of the French Quarter, a historic district known for its vibrant nightlife with many bars, restaurants and jazz venues.

The city was at the time hosting tens of thousands of people who had come to see a major American university football game called the Sugar Bowl, which has now been postponed.

City documents show New Orleans has been in the middle of a major project to remove and replace bollards designed to prevent vehicle attacks along Bourbon Street. That project began in November and involves installing removable stainless steel bollards.

Wednesday's attack in New Orleans is the latest example of a vehicle being used as a weapon to carry out mass violence. The trend has alarmed law enforcement officials because such attacks can be difficult to protect against.

Last month a Saudi doctor, 50, ploughed into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers in the German city of Magdeburg, killing four women and a nine-year-old boy.