New Year’s Day Vehicle Attack in New Orleans Leaves 10 Dead and 30 Injured

New York, Jan 2 (NationPress) A man determined to cause devastation unleashed chaos in New Orleans by driving a vehicle displaying an Islamic State flag into a crowd welcoming the New Year, leading to 10 fatalities and a minimum of 35 injuries, officials confirmed.

The assailant, who was killed during a confrontation with police, was identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, a 42-year-old citizen of the United States from Texas.

The FBI stated they were investigating the individual’s potential connections to terrorist organizations.

As of now, no terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick remarked that the attacker was intent on creating destruction and bypassed barriers to enter the famous Bourbon Street, a location known for its lively celebrations.

Jabbar, clad in an armored vest, drove his truck into the crowd, exited the vehicle, and opened fire on police, who subsequently shot him dead, according to officials. Two police officers sustained injuries.

An improvised explosive device was discovered on the vehicle, as reported by the FBI.

“Additional potential IEDs were also found in the French Quarter of the city. The FBI’s bomb technicians are collaborating with law enforcement to assess the devices and ensure they are rendered safe,” the FBI stated.

Several suspicious devices were neutralized using controlled detonations.

President Joe Biden condemned the attacks as “horrific” and lacking “justification.”

In a statement, he mentioned being “constantly updated” by federal law enforcement and the homeland security team regarding the “horrific incident that unfolded overnight.”

In a brief exchange with reporters, he expressed feelings of “anger” and “frustration.”

President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office in three weeks, referred to the attack as “pure evil.”

On Truth Social, he stated, “When I claimed that the criminals entering are more dangerous than those already in our country, that assertion was continuously contradicted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it has proven to be accurate.”

Jabbar appeared to have resided in the U.S. long enough to acquire citizenship.

Officials noted that Jabbar, who lived in Houston, had minor encounters with law enforcement and faced charges related to theft and driving with a suspended license.

Online records also indicated his involvement in divorce and child support disputes in Texas.

Officials reported that he utilized a “rideshare” vehicle, likely a rental truck.

The attack occurred at 3:15 a.m., just hours before the Sugar Bowl, an annual college football game that attracts over 80,000 attendees and millions of viewers.

Bourbon Street, located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, is renowned for hosting large New Year celebrations and is famous for the annual Mardi Gras parade.

In other parts of the U.S., New Year’s celebrations proceeded without incident.

At the New Year Ball Drop in New York’s Times Square, hundreds of thousands, both locals and tourists, braved the rain to participate in the world’s largest celebration under heavy security.

Terrorists have weaponized vehicles in their campaigns of chaos.

Vehicle attacks have been used by terrorists in the past. The New Orleans incident follows closely after a Saudi national drove his car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing five and injuring 200 others.

German officials were baffled by the attack as the alleged perpetrator, a doctor, had made anti-Islamist comments, leading to suspicions of his mental health.

In 2016, an Islamist terrorist drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, resulting in 13 deaths, and another incident attributed to the Islamic State claimed 86 lives in Nice, France, when a man drove into a crowd.

In the U.S., a White Supremacist targeted a civil rights protest in Charlottesville, resulting in one fatality and 35 injuries the following year.

A Christmas parade in Waukesha faced a vehicle attack, leading to six deaths and 62 injuries. The convicted individual was a non-White sympathizer of the anti-government Sovereign Citizen Movement.