NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army veteran who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers acted alone, the FBI confirmed Thursday. This statement marked a reversal from initial suspicions that the attacker might have collaborated with others. The deadly assault, which killed 14 people and injured many more, is being investigated as an act of terrorism inspired by the Islamic State (IS).
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, posted five videos on his Facebook account hours before the attack, expressing support for IS and hinting at the violence he planned to unleash in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter. Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, described the act as “premeditated and evil,” stating that Jabbar was “100% inspired” by the militant group.
Details of the Attack
The attack unfolded when Jabbar steered a rented truck around a barricade and into a crowd, killing 14 people before being fatally shot in a confrontation with police. Among the victims were an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two, and a former Princeton University football star.
The assault marked the deadliest IS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in years, underscoring what federal officials warn is a growing international terrorism threat. Raia assured the public that there was no evidence linking the New Orleans attack to an explosion outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel the same day, where a Tesla Cybertruck loaded with explosives detonated. The driver of that vehicle, a decorated Green Beret, died at the scene.
Investigation Findings
Initially, the FBI explored the possibility of accomplices but has since determined Jabbar acted alone. Surveillance footage captured individuals near an improvised explosive device Jabbar placed in a cooler on Bourbon Street, but investigators have ruled out their involvement. The cooler and another device were safely neutralized on-site.
Authorities are piecing together Jabbar’s radicalization journey. He reportedly picked up the rented truck in Houston on December 30 and drove to New Orleans the following evening. Investigators found an IS flag in the truck and reviewed his Facebook videos, including one where Jabbar mentioned an initial plan to harm family and friends but chose a public act of violence to attract global attention.
A Troubled Past
Jabbar’s military record reveals service from 2007 to 2020, including a deployment to Afghanistan and a final rank of staff sergeant. His younger brother, Abdur-Rahim Jabbar, expressed disbelief about the attack, describing his sibling as isolated in recent years but showing no outward signs of radicalization.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Abdur-Rahim said. “This is completely contradictory to who he was.”
City Rebuilds
As New Orleans processes the tragedy, life in the city slowly resumed. Bourbon Street reopened Thursday afternoon, and the Sugar Bowl, postponed for security reasons, proceeded as planned. The city remains committed to hosting the Super Bowl next month.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry sought to reassure residents: “This is one of the safest places on earth. That doesn’t mean nothing can happen, but we will rebuild and move forward together.”
