At least 15 people died when a man, who turned his vehicle into a weapon, drove into a crowd in the middle of the night during New Year’s festivities in New Orleans. Here’s what we know about this attack.
• Also read: Drama in New Orleans: the suspect “inspired” by the Islamic State, according to Biden
• Also read: “Terrorist act” in New Orleans: the toll rises to 15 dead and 35 injured
• Also read: “A war zone”: witnesses of the attack in New Orleans in shock
The attack
The man drove a white Ford pickup into a crowd of people celebrating New Year’s Eve in the “Vieux Carré” (French Quarter), the most emblematic tourist district of New Orleans, around 3:15 a.m. (9:15 a.m. GMT) Wednesday. According to police, he was “fiercely determined to cause carnage.”
Once the vehicle stopped, the man opened fire before being shot dead by police during the shootout.
The balance sheet
At least 15 people were killed, according to the FBI, which cites figures given by the coroner’s office. The attack also left around thirty people injured, according to authorities.
The man also injured two police officers during the shooting. According to official sources, their condition is “stable”.
The attacker
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 master 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 Timesdescribed 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 an 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 the Islamic State” 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.
A place of celebration
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 known for its bars with live music, in a city where locals say jazz was invented by freed slaves in the 19e 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.
These days, the city welcomes tens of thousands of people to watch a major college football game, the Sugar Bowl. The match was postponed by 24 hours.
