Photo credit, Reuters
2 hours ago
Fifteen people died and dozens more injured after a man drove into a large crowd in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year's Day, authorities said.
Here's what we know at this point
Who is Shamsud Din Jabbar?
The man who drove the truck into the crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning was identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen, allegedly drove a pickup truck into a crowd on a busy New Orleans street, before exiting the vehicle and firing a gun. He was shot dead by police at the scene.
The FBI says an Islamic State group flag was found inside the vehicle he was driving, while two improvised explosive devices were found nearby.
The FBI confirmed earlier today that the incident was being investigated as an “act of terrorism” and CBS confirmed he was killed by police gunfire.
Police earlier said he fired at the officers when they responded to the scene.
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan said law enforcement does not believe the suspect was solely responsible for the attack.
She asked anyone with information or who had contact with the suspected driver of the vehicle in the past 17 hours to contact the FBI.
This is an ongoing investigation that is evolving rapidly.
Officer Duncan confirms that the attacker was a military veteran, and believes he was on leave, but cannot confirm this at this time.
The truck he was in, a white Ford F-150 Lightning, with a badly damaged front end, was geolocated by the BBC Verify team in front of Rick's Cabaret on Bourbon Street, near the intersection of Conti Street .
Authorities said the vehicle was rented and did not belong to the suspect.
Investigators said they found two potential explosive devices at the scene.
A long gun fitted with a “suppression device” — acting like a silencer — was found at the scene, CBS reported.
When did the incident occur?
At 3:15 a.m. on New Year's Day, this man drove a pickup truck at high speed into a large crowd on Bourbon Street, in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter.
Police called the act “highly intentional,” adding that he was “determined to cause the carnage and damage it caused.”
“This man was trying to run over as many people as possible,” said New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
The driver fired shots from his vehicle, injuring two officers. They are in stable condition, according to authorities.
Who are the victims?
The death toll remained at 10 for most of Wednesday, but Dr. Dwight McKenna, New Orleans coroner, confirmed in the evening that it stood at 15.
He said it would take several days to complete all the autopsies, after which the identities of the victims would be revealed.
Dozens of other people were injured in the attack, which took place in New Orleans' French Quarter – a popular nightspot for locals and tourists – around 3:15 a.m. (0815 GMT).
-“This man was trying to run over as many people as possible,” said New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
The injured were sent to several area hospitals for treatment.
Police said the victims appeared to be primarily residents of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Where did this happen?
Bourbon Street is a well-known nightlife and tourist hotspot, full of restaurants, bars and clubs with live music.
It is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, a bustling area that attracts tourists and locals, especially to celebrate the new year.
It was founded by the French in 1718, and the original network of streets designed at the time is central to the city's tourism.
Each year, more than a million people flock in the spring to watch the famous Mardi Gras carnival and parade, famous for the colorful beaded necklaces worn by festival-goers.
The Sugar Bowl, which pits the Notre Dame and University of Georgia football teams against each other, is scheduled to take place as scheduled Wednesday evening at the city's Caesars Superdome, according to CBS.
What was found at the scene?
Special Agent Duncan confirmed during a morning press conference that the agency had taken over the investigation.
She insisted the public should stay away from the area “until we can figure out what's going on.”
Police asked the public to stay away from Bourbon Street between Canal and St Ann streets.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the priority Wednesday afternoon remained to evacuate victims from Bourbon Street as soon as possible.
What about the Sugar Bowl?
The Sugar Bowl, the annual American college football game, was postponed until Thursday evening due to the incident in New Orleans.
Kickoff was scheduled to take place later in the day at the Caesar Superdowm, located not far from the Bourbon Street stage. The University of Georgia was scheduled to face Notre Dame.
Earlier, the president of the University of Georgia said one of his students was seriously injured in the attack and was receiving medical treatment.
What do the witnesses say?
A witness who was on Bourbon Street at the time of the incident has just recounted some poignant scenes.
Whit Davis, from Shreveport, Louisiana, told the BBC: “We had been on Bourbon Street since early evening.
“When we were in the bar, we didn't hear any gunshots or accidents because the music was so loud,” Mr. Davis said.
Police detained Mr. Davis and a group of people in the bar, and when they were allowed to leave, he said they were “passing dead bodies and injured people all over the street.”
Is this a terrorist act?
Authorities are investigating whether the suspect was linked to or inspired by a foreign terrorist organization, according to CBS, the BBC's U.S. news partner.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI was investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism.”
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Justice's National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana “will continue to work with their law enforcement partners.” “law enforcement and will deploy all available resources to complete this investigation,” he added.
