Deadly New Orleans Attack Leaves 15 Dead, Suspect Killed in Police Shootout
At least 15 people are dead and dozens more injured after a suspected terror attack early Wednesday on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Authorities say Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42, drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revellers before engaging in a fatal shootout with police.
The attack began when Jabbar allegedly bypassed vehicle barricades and drove into the crowded street, striking and killing multiple people. When officers approached, Jabbar exited the vehicle and opened fire, wounding two officers. Police returned fire, killing Jabbar at the scene.
Jabbar, a Texas native and former U.S. Army IT specialist, is believed to have been radicalized. Investigators say they found an ISIS flag and an improvised explosive device in the vehicle. Additional explosives were said to have been located in the historic French Quarter of the city
The FBI is treating the incident as a terrorist attack and reviewing online videos in which Jabbar allegedly expressed allegiance to ISIS. The attack is the deadliest in the U.S. in over a year.
President Joe Biden said there is no justification for the horrific attack. In a written statement, Biden said he had been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my Homeland Security team.