A US Army veteran who displayed an ISIS flag on his truck crashed into New Orleans’ crowded French Quarter on New Year’s Day, killing 15 people, according to Reuters.
The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas who once served in Afghanistan, was killed in a shootout with police after ramming into the crowd. He may have had help from others, officials said.
An ISIS flag was waving on a pole protruding from the trailer of the rental car, prompting an investigation into possible links to terrorist organisations, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Alethea Duncan, said.
We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.
Around 30 other people were injured in the attack, including two police officers who were wounded in the shooting. It occurred at around 3:15 a.m. (09:15 GMT) near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets. Police recovered weapons and defused a potential explosive device in a car, as well as two potential explosive devices in the French Quarter, according to the FBI.
CNN, citing officials briefed on the investigation, reported that the suspect recorded videos in which he mentioned dreams of joining ISIS and considered killing his family after a divorce. Even though ISIS is weakening locally, it continues to recruit adherents online, experts say.
About 400 officers were on duty in the French Quarter at the time of the incident, including those who erected an improvised barrier to prevent anyone from entering the pedestrian zone, police reported. Steel barriers were being removed and replaced in New Orleans in response to vehicle attacks on pedestrian malls around the world. The construction was supposed to be completed by the Super Bowl.
