A truck plowed into a crowd on New Orleans' famed Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year's Day, leaving at least 15 people dead and dozens more hospitalized with injuries.
The driver was identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran from Houston, Texas, according to the FBI. He was killed in a gunfire exchange with police following the attack, which is being investigated as terrorism, agency officials said.
An Islamic State flag was visibly attached to the pickup truck, the FBI said, but agency officials have yet to indicate a motive. The FBI said it's likely the driver did not act alone, and it's searching for information that could lead to additional suspects who may have aided in the attack.
Weapons and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device were found inside the truck, according to the federal agency. Investigators found and neutralized other IEDs in the French Quarter. Authorities said they swept the French Quarter, parts of the Central Business District and the Caesars Superdome — where the now-delayed Sugar Bowl will be held — looking for additional improvised explosive devices.
Nightly, crowds pack Bourbon Street, a 13-block stretch in the city's French Quarter, where patrons of the street's bars, restaurants and music venues often spill into the road, which is usually blocked to cars. The number of visitors to New Orleans this week swelled as revelers flocked to the popular destination for New Year's Eve celebrations, and ahead of the Sugar Bowl.
Here's what else we know so far about the attack.
It was an "intentional" attack on one of New Orleans' busiest nights, officials say
Around 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday, the suspect veered around a police vehicle blocking the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets, speeding onto the sidewalk before steering back onto Bourbon, according to police.
The driver continued for almost three blocks down Bourbon Street, crossing Iberville Street and Bienville Street, and then crashing just before Conti Street. After crashing, the driver exited the pickup and fired at police officers, injuring two. The injured officers are in stable condition, police said in a Wednesday morning news briefing.
Loading...
The dozens of others who were injured were taken to nearby hospitals, with some in critical condition.
The suspect drove down Bourbon Street at "a very fast pace" and tried to "run over as many people as he possibly could," New Orleans police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said at a Wednesday morning news conference. "This was intentional," she said.
Entry to Bourbon Street is usually blocked off to vehicle traffic by metal bollards — pole-like barricades. But the bollards were down for maintenance at the time of the attack, with their repair "near completion," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. The police car that the suspect bypassed was serving as a makeshift roadblock for vehicles trying to enter the French Quarter's busiest street.
In brief remarks from Camp David on Wednesday evening, President Biden called it a heinous attack.
"To all the people in New Orleans who are grieving, I grieve with you," Biden said. "Our nation grieves with you."
Law enforcement officials are also looking into whether the incident is connected to a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded early Wednesday outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel, President Biden said. One person died and seven others were injured in the explosion.
Police say the suspect likely had help
Alethea Duncan, the FBI assistant special agent in charge of the investigation, said they did not believe the suspect was "solely responsible." She called on members of the public who may have had interactions with the suspect in the last 72 hours to come forward.
Jabbar rented the white Ford truck on Dec. 30 and was seen driving it in Houston before heading to New Orleans, said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is out of state.
Duncan said authorities are looking into whether Jabbar had ties to any terrorist organizations. The Islamic State terrorist group has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
In his remarks, Biden said that hours before the attack, Jabbar posted videos to social media "indicating that he was inspired by ISIS."
But, the president added, the investigation is a "fluid" situation and "no one should jump to conclusions."
Jabbar was a U.S. citizen and was honorably discharged from the Army, the FBI said. An Army spokesperson confirmed to NPR that Jabbar served as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from March 2007 until January 2015 and then in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist until July 2020. In February 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan, where he served for about 11 months. He left the service with the rank of staff sergeant.
Police on Wednesday were at Jabbar's home in northwest Houston and said it was an active investigation scene. The house is cut off from the street by a large iron gate, with ducks and sheep seen roaming the property, according to Houston Public Media's Rob Salinas. The Texas Newsroom reported that a neighbor, who didn't know Jabbar by name, described the suspect as quiet and their interactions as normal.
A review of the Texas Secretary of State Records by the Texas Newsroom found that Jabbar had started a handful of realty businesses in Texas. Two of them went defunct in recent years.
In a now-removed YouTube video for one of the businesses posted four years ago, Jabbar says he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and spent all his life in the state except for his time in the military.
He said his 10 years in the military is "where I learned the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, dotting i's and crossing t's, to make sure that things go off without a hitch."
A Georgia State University spokesperson confirmed Jabbar attended the school from 2015 to 2017, and graduated with a business administration bachelor's degree in computer information systems.
In a statement emailed to NPR by Deloitte Managing Director Jonathan Gandal, the company acknowledged Jabbar had been employed at the consulting firm, but did not elaborate on his duties or how long he worked there.
"We are shocked to learn of reports today that the individual identified as a suspect had any association with our firm," according to the Deloitte statement. "The named individual served in a staff-level role since being hired in 2021. Like everyone, we are outraged by this shameful and senseless act of violence and are doing all we can to assist authorities in their investigation."
New Orleans is still preparing to host more high-profile events in coming weeks
In response to the attack, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has declared a state of emergency in New Orleans and called up 100 members of a military police unit of the Louisiana National Guard to assist with security.
The order, which frees up additional state and federal resources to support security, comes ahead of the city's plans to host an influx of visitors for several high-profile events. The Sugar Bowl — the college football playoff quarterfinal between the University of Georgia and Notre Dame — is now scheduled to go ahead on Thursday afternoon. In addition, New Orleans is also gearing up for Mardi Gras season, which starts Monday, and the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
NPR's Tom Bowman and Ryland Barton, WWNO's Athina Morris, The Texas Newsroom's Lauren McGaughy and Houston Public Media's Rob Salinas and Sarah Grunau contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 NPR
