Authorities are continuing their investigation into the New Year’s Day truck attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, which claimed the lives of 14 people and injured dozens more. The FBI reported that the attacker, who expressed support for ISIS in videos posted shortly before the rampage, acted alone.
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The assailant, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S.-born citizen from Texas, was killed by police after he drove a rented truck into a crowd of revelers. Jabbar, a former U.S. Army serviceman who was deployed to Afghanistan for 11 months, had been discharged in 2015 and worked in real estate in recent years.
Details
In the early hours of New Year’s Day 2025, Jabbar drove onto the sidewalk of Bourbon Street, bypassing barriers, and plowed into a crowd. After exiting the vehicle, he exchanged gunfire with responding officers before being fatally shot. The New Orleans Police Department confirmed Jabbar was declared dead at the scene.
Surveillance footage revealed that Jabbar also placed two active improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the French Quarter. The FBI described the devices as rudimentary pipe bombs containing shrapnel. Both were safely neutralized. Investigators also recovered weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun with a suppressor, and body armor, from the scene.
Motive and Investigation
FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia stated that the attack was “100% inspired by ISIS,” citing Jabbar’s videos posted en route from Houston to New Orleans. In one video, Jabbar expressed his intent to focus attention on what he called the “war between the believers and the disbelievers.”
Related: Witnesses recount devastating attack on Bourbon street in New Orleans
While investigators initially suspected possible accomplices, the FBI later confirmed that Jabbar acted alone. Raia emphasized, “Through call records, device analysis, interviews, and other evidence, we have found no indication that Jabbar received assistance.”
Aftermath
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell confirmed that Bourbon Street was reopened to pedestrians ahead of the Sugar Bowl, rescheduled for Thursday afternoon. Investigators have conducted hundreds of interviews, reviewed electronic devices, and examined the rented truck to ensure public safety.
President Biden addressed the nation, condemning the attack and pledging continued efforts to combat terrorism. “We will remain vigilant to protect our citizens and ensure that acts of violence like this are met with justice,” he said.
