The attacker is a former soldier
The individual, who died, was identified by the FBI. He is “Shamsud-Din Jabbar, American citizen from Texas”, former soldier, according to the federal police. Aged 42, he served in the army from 2007 to 2015, including a deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, finishing as a staff sergeant, according to the Ministry of Defense. According to the first elements of the investigation, he had left her in an “honorable” manner.
Abdur Jabbar, who presents himself as his brother to the New York Times, described him as “a sweetheart”, specifying that he had converted to Islam at a young age, speaking of “a form of radicalization”. In a video dating from 2020, Shamsud-Din Jabbar says he is a “real estate agent” and, praising his merits, claims to be a “tough negotiator”. He insists on his military past.
Suspected terrorist act
The FBI said it was treating the attack as a “terrorist act” and that an Islamic State group flag was found in the vehicle. “The FBI is working to determine the individual’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” according to the federal police press release, which indicates that it is “actively” searching for possible accomplices.
Investigators don’t believe the suspect acted alone: ”We don’t believe Jabbar is solely responsible,” said FBI Special Agent Alethea Duncan. The authorities have launched a call for witnesses and asked the population to share any information relating to the suspect or the attack.
In a short address to the nation, US President Joe Biden stressed that the suspect, killed by police, had “published videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS” and that he had a “desire to kill”.
-Weapons and explosives
Weapons and potential explosive devices were found in the vehicle and in the French Quarter, the FBI initially said, saying it was “working” to determine whether these devices were likely to explode. “At this time, two improvised explosive devices have been found and secured,” Officer Duncan later said.
The attack took place on the famous Bourbon Street in the “Vieux Carré”, a historic district of New Orleans, with colorful colonial-style houses, a temple of tourism and partying, famous throughout the world. The French Quarter is renowned for its bars with live music, in a city where locals say jazz was invented by freed slaves in the 19th century. The city is also known for its carnival and its famous Mardi Gras.
The largest city in the state of Louisiana, with more than 360,000 inhabitants, New Orleans, located on the banks of the Mississippi River, attracted some 18 million tourists in 2018. The city these days welcomes tens of thousands of people coming to watch a big college football game, the Sugar Bowl. The match was postponed by 24 hours.
