According to CBS News, after plowing into the crowd, the suspect, since identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, exited the car and opened fire on officers. Two police officers were hit by gunfire and remain in stable condition. Jabbar died after exchanging gunfire with three responding officers and was declared dead at the scene.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has stated that the incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism. The FBI 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."
Jabbar is U.S. citizen from Texas and had previously served in the U.S. military. FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said that investigators do not believe that Jabbar was "solely responsible" for the attack and that 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 in the investigation.WATCH🚨: These cops on Bourbon Street went flying on foot when the call came in. This is true bravery in the face of danger‼️ Not one of them hesitated pic.twitter.com/DC1wIgduVB
— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) January 1, 2025
The FBI is also working to determine his potential affiliations or associations with terrorist groups. As of this writing, neither ISIS nor any other foreign terror organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said that Jabbar drove around barricades and up onto the sidewalk of Bourbon Street, avoiding barriers that had been placed by police. Kirkpatrick said the man "was trying to run over as many people as he could." She added, "We had a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and he still got around."
Upon searching the vehicle that Jabbar was driving, weapons and two potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were located in the vehicle. A person familiar with the incident said at least one IED was found in the French Quarter and was denoted by law enforcement. The number of IEDs left behind is a large part of why the FBI believes Jabbar may have had an accomplice, according to sources.
Investigators are reportedly combing through video to see if there were accomplices involved in placing the devices. Further sweeps by law enforcement did not turn up any additional IEDs. Kirkpatrick said officers walked the area as a grid, looking for any suspicious items. Police said a long gun was recovered from the scene. The weapon had a "suppressive device" on it that acted as a silencer.
Two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News that Jabbar 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 said the suspect was staying while in the city. That building caught on fire Wednesday morning. The investigation into that fire remains on going.
The vehicle Jabbar drove was an electric Ford pickup that appears to have been rented, the FBI said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on social media that Jabbar rented the truck on December 30th, while living in the Houston area before heading to New Orleans.
According to BBC, Jabbar reportedly worked in various roles in the U.S. Army, including in human resources and IT before he was discharged. He studied at George State University from 2015 to 2017, graduating with a degree in computer information systems. He also appears to have worked in real estate, holding a license that expired in 2021. He had a criminal record, relating to traffic offenses and theft.
