An act of violence disrupted the New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans’ iconic French Quarter early on January 1, as a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 10 people and injuring more than 30.
Authorities have identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, who was killed in a shootout with police shortly after the attack. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism and is examining Jabbar’s potential ties to extremist groups.
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. in an area bustling with New Year’s revelers. According to law enforcement, Jabbar’s rented Ford EV pickup truck was carrying firearms, pipe bombs, and an Islamic State (ISIS) flag attached to the vehicle’s trailer hitch.
The FBI has not confirmed any direct claim of responsibility from ISIS but is exploring whether Jabbar acted alone or had accomplices, according to the Associated Press.
“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” said Alethea Duncan, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, during a press briefing. Duncan confirmed that an improvised explosive device was found at the scene and is being analyzed for additional threats.
Law enforcement sources revealed that Jabbar lived in northwest Houston and had started several real estate businesses in Texas, two of which recently became defunct.
His now-deleted YouTube channel (video above article) for one of the businesses sheds light on his background. In a video posted four years ago, Jabbar claimed to have served in the US Army for 10 years as a “human resources and IT specialist.”
“My time in the military is where I learned the meaning of great service,” Jabbar said in the video. “It taught me to be responsive and to take everything seriously, dotting i’s and crossing t’s.”
Jabbar also held a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University, where he studied between 2015 and 2017.
Authorities are piecing together Jabbar’s movements leading up to the attack. Local reports suggest he may have been staying at an Airbnb in the St. Roch neighborhood. A heavy police presence was noted on Mandeville Street, where a home was evacuated as part of the ongoing investigation.
Photos circulated among law enforcement show Jabbar dressed in camouflage next to his truck following the attack. Investigators also recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle from his vehicle after the shootout.
While no additional suspects have been named, the FBI is actively investigating Jabbar’s potential connections to terrorist organizations. The discovery of pipe bombs wired for remote detonation and a corresponding remote control inside the truck raises questions about his broader plans and whether he received assistance in planning or executing the attack.
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