AA / WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL / Servet Gunerigok and Serdar Dincel
The death toll from the van attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, now stands at 15, the city’s coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, announced Wednesday.
“It will take several days to complete all the autopsies. Once these are completed and after informing the victims’ relatives, we will make their identities public,” McKenna said in a statement.
Separately, 35 other people were reported injured after the vehicle drove through the heart of the French Quarter at 3:15 a.m. (0915GMT) on Wednesday. This area, very popular with tourists, is an essential place for celebrations of major holidays, notably New Year’s Eve.
Police say the assailant drove the van onto a sidewalk, going around a police car parked to block access to traffic, before carrying out the attack. Nearly 400 agents had been deployed to secure the area.
The FBI believes Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man identified as ramming New Year’s Eve revelers with a pickup truck, did not act alone. Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, was named as the prime suspect in the attack.
“We do not believe that Jabbar is solely responsible. We are actively following all leads, including those related to his knowledge,” said Alethea Duncan, FBI assistant special agent in charge of the New Orleans office, during a press conference.
“We cannot go into detail regarding the suspect’s background. What I can confirm is that he was a military veteran. We believe he was honorably discharged from duty, but we We are still verifying this information,” she added.
A native of Texas, Jabbar was previously identified by the bureau as a suspect in the terrorist act.
Asked about the number of potential accomplices, Duncan said it was a “varying number of suspects.”
According to sources cited by ABC News, New Orleans police reviewed video surveillance footage showing several individuals appearing to plant potential explosive devices before the van attack.
The authorities are working to identify the people seen in the recordings in order to arrest them.
Additionally, steel barriers were not installed on Bourbon Street at the time of the incident.
-– State of emergency
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency to strengthen cooperation between federal, state and local agencies, saying he wanted to mobilize all necessary resources to secure the city.
He also mobilized a military police company to support law enforcement.
“It is essential for our citizens and visitors to the state to know that we are doing everything we can to ensure their safety in this city. We want to be clear: the Superdome and surrounding areas are secure,” he said.
The Sugar Bowl, an American college football championship which was to be played at the Superdome on New Year’s Day, has been postponed until Thursday.
According to the FBI, several weapons, a flag of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group and a potential improvised explosive device were discovered inside the vehicle.
In addition, two other potential improvised explosive devices were found in the French Quarter and were “neutralized,” Alethea Duncan said.
– FBI launches investigation in Houston after van attack in New Orleans
The FBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are conducting a court-approved search of a property north of Houston, Texas, in connection with the deadly van attack in New Orleans, the FBI said from Houston on X.
Law enforcement has been stationed near the intersection of Hugh Road and Crescent Peak Drive for several hours and plans to remain there for a few more hours, the release said.
Ultimately, the FBI established a security perimeter and is calling on the public to avoid the area, adding that no arrests have been made to date.
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