At Least 10 Killed, Dozens Injured After Car Struck Crowd in New Orleans in US
12:59 GMT 01.01.2025 (Updated: 08:25 GMT 02.01.2025)
© AP Photo / Gerald Herbert
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least 10 people were killed and dozens were injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd in US’s New Orleans.
"A total of 10 victims were declared to be deceased on scene. At this time, approximately 35 additional victims were determined to have suffered injuries in relation to this incident," the local police said in a statement.
The FBI has issued a statement confirming that the New Orleans attacker has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
The suspect drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early this morning, killing 10 people and injuring scores more. After exiting the vehicle, he opened fire on law enforcement officers, who returned fire, killing him at the scene.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the incident, which is being treated as a terrorist attack, after finding the following in Jabbar's vehicle:
An ISIS* flag, prompting further investigation into potential ties to terrorist organizations.
Firearms reportedly used by the suspect during the attack.
What may be an improvised explosive device (IED).
Additional IEDs found elsewhere in New Orleans' French Quarter, with bomb squad technicians working to determine if they are live.
The vehicle used in the attack appears to have been rented, and authorities are investigating how the suspect obtained it.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was the first to describe the ramming of a crowd of New Year’s revelers with a pickup truck as a terrorist attack.
Fox News reported, citing a high-level source familiar with the investigation, that at least four to five other suspects are involved in the attack.
📹 Videos from New Orleans, where a pickup truck slammed into a crowd during New Year’s Eve celebrations – killing at least 10 people and injuring several others. https://t.co/MJKFSrLZs9 pic.twitter.com/tCuIuVC61Z
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) January 1, 2025
Biden Says New Orleans Attack Investigated by FBI as Terrorist Act
Outgoing US President Joe Biden commenting on the New Orleans terrorist attack said he instructed his administration to ensure that every resource is available to all levels of investigation into the New Orleans car-ramming attack.
"The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism," Biden said in a statement.
"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 added.
Trump After New Orleans Attack Says US Crime Rate Higher Than Ever
US President-elect Donald Trump commented on the New Orleans car-ramming attack on Wednesday by recalling illegal migration and saying crime has never been higher in the US.
"When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true. The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before," Trump said on Truth Social.
"Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!" he added.
US Probes Link Between New Orleans Attack, Las Vegas Blast
US intelligence agencies are investigating a possible link between the terrorist attack in New Orleans and the explosion of a Cybertruck near the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, US President Joe Biden said on Thursday.
"We are tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there are any possible connections with the attack in New Orleans," Biden said in an address to the nation, adding that there is nothing to share on the matter so far.
Late on Wednesday, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. One person died and seven others were injured in the explosion, the Las Vegas Police Department said, adding that an investigation was underway.
Suspect Planned to Kill Family Before Joining ISIS
The man who rammed a pickup truck into a crowd in the US city of New Orleans on New Year's Day discussed plans to kill his family and join ISIS, according to US officials who spoke to CNN.
Jabbar said he initially planned to gather his family for a "celebration" during which he intended to murder them but then changed his mind and joined the IS. A flag of the Islamist group was found in the back of the truck he used to attack revelers, killing 15 and injuring dozens in the small hours of Wednesday. He fired at police and was shot dead.
Police also found a suspected improvised explosive device in the suspect's vehicle. Several more IEDs were found near the area of the attack. Investigators were reportedly looking into them. Liz Murrill, attorney general in Louisiana, told NBC News that police had searched an Airbnb rental property that could have been connected to the production of explosive devices tied to the deadly ramming.
* Terrorist group banned in Russia
