The Daily Populous Thursday January 2nd, 2025 night edition
Authored by cbsnews.com and submitted by TheKittensAreMelting

A man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter early on New Year's Day, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others, officials said.

A black ISIS flag was flying from the truck's rear bumper, and the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

The man driving the vehicle has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, the FBI said.

In televised remarks Wednesday evening, President Biden said the FBI has determined that just hours before the attack, Jabbar "posted videos to social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill."

The vehicle was an electric Ford pickup truck and appears to have been rented, the FBI said. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on social media Jabbar rented the truck on Dec. 30, while living in the Houston area, before heading to New Orleans.

FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that investigators "do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible" for the attack, and the FBI believes he may have had help carrying it out. Duncan said the FBI is looking at a "range of suspects" and does "not want to rule anything out" at this stage of the investigation. The FBI is also working to determine his potential affiliations or associations with terrorist associations.

Passport photo of Shamsud-Din Jabbar FBI

A person familiar with the investigation told CBS News that at this point, neither ISIS nor any other foreign terror organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attacker drove around barricades and up onto the sidewalk of Bourbon Street, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said, avoiding barriers that had been placed by police. Kirkpatrick said the man "was trying to run over as many people as he could."

"We had a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and he still got around," Kirkpatrick said.

The man then exited the car and opened fire on officers, the FBI official said. He died after exchanging gunfire with three responding officers, the FBI said. He was struck by police fire and declared dead at the scene, the New Orleans Police Department said. Two police officers were hit by gunfire but were in stable condition.

Weapons and two potential improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were located in the vehicle, Duncan said. At least one other IED was found in the French Quarter, and was detonated by law enforcement, a person familiar with the investigation said. The number of IEDs left behind is a large part of why the FBI believes the man may have had an accomplice, sources tell CBS News. Investigators are combing through video to see if there were accomplices involved in placing the devices, sources told CBS News.

Further sweeps by law enforcement did not find any more IEDs, Duncan said. Kirkpatrick said police walked the area as a grid, looking for any suspicious items. Anyone who sees anything suspicious should contact officials, Duncan said.

Emergency services attend the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Streets, Jan. 1, 2025, killing 10 people. Gerald Herbert/AP

A long gun was recovered from the scene, law enforcement sources told CBS News. The long gun had a "suppressive device" on it that acted as a silencer, according to sources on the scene.

Two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News the man was wearing body armor.

Investigators from the FBI, Homeland Security and bomb squad have all been on the scene at an Airbnb in the St. Roch area of New Orleans, where officials tell CBS News the suspect was staying while in New Orleans. That building caught fire on Wednesday and the investigation into that fire is ongoing.

Duncan asked that anyone with information about the man contact the FBI. A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News that he had previously served in the U.S. military.

Officials react to "horrific act of violence"

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called it "a horrific act of violence" and said he and his wife were "praying for all the victims and first responders on scene." He urged people to avoid the area.

"As of now, 15 people are deceased. It will take several days to perform all autopsies. Once we complete the autopsies and talk with the next of kin, we will release the identifications of the victims," New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said in a statement.

The popular tourist district was full of New Year's Day revelers at the time of the attack.

Witnesses told CBS News reporter Kati Weis that a white truck crashed into people on Bourbon Street at high speed, and the driver then started firing a weapon from inside the vehicle, with police returning fire. Weis saw multiple people on the ground being treated for injuries near the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets.

The City of New Orleans said in a statement posted online that 30 people were transported to area hospitals with injuries and 10 people were confirmed dead. Kirkpatrick later said that at least 35 people were hospitalized.

"He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," Kirkpatrick said.

Duncan said the FBI will be leading the investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Justice Department's National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will work with the FBI and local officials to support the investigation, Attorney General Merrick Garland said. President Biden was briefed about the attack, the White House said, and his administration has been in touch with Cantrell to offer support.

Biden said in a statement he has directed his administration to "ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind."

"My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday," Biden said. "There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities."

President-elect Donald Trump also acknowledged the attack in a post on TruthSocial.

"Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department," Trump said, in part.

The Sugar Bowl college football playoff game was set to be played at the nearby Superdome later Wednesday, but has been rescheduled for Thursday night. Kirkpatrick said bomb sweeps have been conducted at the Superdome, and said the stadium would be locked down until the game.

Jeff Hundley, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sugar Bowl, announced the delay at Thursday's news conference. More details about the rescheduled game will be available in the coming hours, he said.

"We live in the fun and games world, with what we do, but we certainly recognize the importance of this and we're going to support it 100%," Hundley said.

A student from the University of Georgia, one of the teams playing in the game, was "critically injured" in the attack, according to a statement from the school on social media. The student was not identified.

Jim and Nicole Mowrer were in New Orleans visiting from Iowa and witnessed the incident. The couple told CBS News they had watched the city's fireworks display and were enjoying the New Year's Day atmosphere in the French Quarter when they heard crashing noises coming from down the street. They said they then saw a white truck slam through a barricade "at a high rate of speed," followed by gunfire and police. The couple said the truck hit people about a block away from where they had been walking.

"Once the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of — several people who had been hit, [we] wanted to see what we could do to help," Nicole Mowrer said. She said the couple found the victims had died.

The Mowrers said the victims they saw had injuries from the truck impact, and they did not see any apparent gunshot wounds. They said they left the area once emergency responders started arriving.

In a 2017 memo reviewed by CBS News, the city of New Orleans had acknowledged the risk of a mass casualty incident in the crowded, tourist-friendly French Quarter. The memo specifically referenced vehicle attacks in Nice, France, London, England and New York City. To minimize risk, the city said it planned to establish a camera and surveillance program, a centralized command center, more police patrols and infrastructure upgrades. The city had been in the process of upgrading the pedestrian bollard system in the French Quarter to modernize and bolster protections, with work ongoing through February.

Mrsparkles7100 on January 1st, 2025 at 14:34 UTC »

“FBI investigating attack as ‘act of terrorism’ The FBI has said it is investigating this morning’s incident in New Orleans as an “act of terrorism”. “This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others,” a statement reads. “The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased”. The statement concludes the FBI is the lead investigative agency, and it is “working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism”.

Via Sky News

FatherLiamFinnegan on January 1st, 2025 at 12:30 UTC »

Bourbon has bollards that are put up when the street is closed to vehicles. Apparently they are in the process of removing and replacing them with newer ones in time of the upcoming Super Bowl. You’d think they wouldn’t have planned this to coincide with such a busy night for the French quarter.

https://nola.gov/next/public-works/projects/bourbon-street-bollard-assessment-replacement-project/

There’s some first hand information on the r/neworleans subreddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/NewOrleans/s/gLxmYMMEEU

TheKittensAreMelting on January 1st, 2025 at 11:30 UTC »

At least 10 killed according to WWL-TV Unknown at this time how many were injured, but it is being reported as “numerous”. WWL-TV reported 26 injured. After ramming vehicle into the crowd, it was reported the suspect exited the vehicle and opened fire, resulting in police returning fire

Edit 1: Video appearing to show the crashed vehicle, immediately before the suspect and/or police opened fire (NSFW - dead/injured seen in video) https://x.com/intelpointalert/status/1874417174452043975?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 2: City of New Orleans confirms 10 fatalities, 30 injured

Edit 3: Further videos from the scene (NSFW - Dead/injured in video) - https://x.com/rawsalerts/status/1874418971140571552?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 4: No confirmation yet on if the suspect was killed or wounded during the incident

Edit 5: BNO News Reports - DEADLY ATTACK IN NEW ORLEANS - After New Year’s celebrations - SUV hit crowd on Bourbon Street - Driver got out, opened fire - City confirms 10 people killed - 30 others taken to hospital - Status of attacker unknown - No word on a possible motive

Edit 6: Tweet from Governor Jeff Landry, Governor of Louisiana

“A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”

Edit 7: CNN witness testimony:

“All I seen was a truck slamming into everyone on the left side of Bourbon sidewalk,” said Kevin Garcia, 22.

“A body came flying at me,” he said, adding that he also heard gunshots being fired.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/new-orleans-mass-casualty-bourbon-street-01-01-24-hnk/index.html

Edit 8: WDSU Reports 12 killed, 27 injured (EDIT: revised to 10 dead, 35 injured as per news conference)

Edit 9: WDSU reports police are investigating a “suspicious package” near the scene of the incident

Edit 10: WDSU also reports that the suspect was “armored” and that a police officer was shot during the incident

Edit 11: WDSU reports that the incident happened on Bourbon Street heading northbound near Iberville St Crossing

Edit 12: ABC News reports that according to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), the suspect has NOT been taken into custody

Edit 13: Photos of the incident show the truck having a Texas license plate, numerous bullet impacts seen on back windshield

Edit 14: Mayor of New Orleans has referred to this as a “Terrorist attack”, and the FBI has taken over the investigation.

Edit 15: BREAKING: FBI report an improvised explosive device has been found in New Orleans. Not seeing much more information than that for that. https://x.com/bnonews/status/1874436644562252259?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Slightly more information: https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/new-orleans-attack-10-killed-manmade-explosive-device-found-suspect-fired-on-officers/article_4cd1fe1e-c83d-11ef-b13e-9b4514644779.html#tncms-source=featured-top

Also casualty update is increased to two officers having been shot during the incident.

Edit 16: Casualty update from press conference - 10 dead - 35 injured (including 2 police officers)

During the press conference, the mayor of New Orleans called the event a “terrorist attack”. Moments later, an FBI spokeswoman said “it’s not a terrorist event”.

Edit 17: WDSU reports the suspect is dead https://x.com/intelpointalert/status/1874441777094254827?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 18: BNO News Update - DEADLY ATTACK IN NEW ORLEANS - During New Year’s celebrations - Pickup truck ran over people - Driver opened fire at police - Police confirm 10 killed, 35 injured - 2 police officers injured in shootout - Mayor calls it a “terrorist attack” - Police: Driver ‘hell-bent on creating carnage’ - No word on the suspect’s motive, ID - Local TV station: Suspect is dead - FBI has taken over the investigation - Bomb squad checking possible IEDs - Next press conference at 11 am (12 pm ET)

https://x.com/bnonews/status/1874445844302164364?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 19: It’s 6AM where I’m at now, I need to get some sleep. Goodnight y’all. Tragic start to the new year.

Edit 20: Death toll has risen to 15 according to NBC and ABC. Suspect has been identified, but I will not be posting his name to give further notoriety. However, I will say they were an American citizen from Texas. An ISIS flag was discovered in the vehicle according to CNN. Also, multiple explosive devices were discovered in the ice chest in the bed of the truck. The FBI is now treating this as a terrorist attack.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/new-orleans-mass-casualty-bourbon-street-01-01-25-hnk/index.html

https://abc7.la/3BSnrXZ

Edit 21: The Sugar Bowl, which was supposed to take place today in New Orleans, has been suspended.

https://www.wdsu.com/article/sugar-bowl-new-orleans-postponed-terror-attack/63316433

https://x.com/espn/status/1874537901880459435?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 22: BREAKING - FBI says they believe the suspect was not solely responsible for the attack

https://x.com/bnonews/status/1874533650932363294?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 23: Explosives found were placed by 3 men and 1 woman, according to AP.

https://x.com/bnonews/status/1874548673532842389?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 24: Police confirm driver killed, 7 others injured after Cybertruck explosion outside of Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Unknown if related or a terrible coincidence, but police are investigating and “taking all precautions” according to BNO News.

https://x.com/bnonews/status/1874543907394175138?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

https://x.com/bnonews/status/1874545299403976913?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 25: Washington DC Metropolitan Police - “While there is no known threat to the District of Columbia, out of an abundance of caution, MPD has heightened its security posture across the city in light of recent events. While we do not discuss specifics regarding operations, tactics, or staffing, the community will notice an increased police presence throughout the city”

https://x.com/macfarlanenews/status/1874549663392473467?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 26: According to ABC, the Cybertruck was filled with “firework-style mortars”

https://x.com/bnonews/status/1874554492148207972?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ

Edit 27: New footage from the moment the suspect and police exchanged gunfire in New Orleans this morning https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1874578449362497541?s=46&t=U-SBsAnuKDK9UgPrGj3blQ