New Orleans:
A US citizen with an Islamic State flag and “hellbent” on carnage steered a pickup truck right into a crowd of New Yr revelers in New Orleans on Wednesday, killing at the very least 15 folks and wounding dozens, officers stated.
The FBI recognized the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas and an Military veteran. He appeared to have been an actual property agent working in Houston and had served as an IT specialist within the navy.
Officers stated they have been looking for accomplices however gave few particulars.
Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick described Jabbar as a “terrorist,” whereas the FBI stated “an ISIS flag was positioned within the automobile,” utilizing one other identify for the Islamic State armed group.
“The FBI is working to find out the topic’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” the company stated in an announcement.
Officers stated a manhunt was underway, with FBI agent Alethea Duncan warning that authorities “don’t imagine that Jabbar was solely accountable.”
“We’re looking some dangerous folks down,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry stated.
Authorities had earlier put the toll at 10, however an FBI spokesman instructed AFP it had risen to fifteen, citing the New Orleans coroner’s workplace.
– Aiming for ‘carnage’ –
Police stated the incident started round 3:15 am (0915 GMT) within the coronary heart of the French Quarter, which was full of folks celebrating the beginning of 2025.
The suspect drove a white Ford F-150 electrical pickup into a gaggle of pedestrians, then exited and was killed in an trade of gunfire with police — two of whom have been wounded. Two selfmade bombs have been discovered and neutralized, the FBI stated.
“This man was attempting to run over as many individuals as he probably may,” Kirkpatrick instructed reporters.
Driving at “very excessive velocity” and in a “very intentional” method, “he was hellbent on creating the carnage and the harm that he did,” Kirkpatrick stated.
The wounded officers have been in steady situation and Kirkpatrick stated they might recuperate.
The Pentagon stated Jabbar had served within the military as a human useful resource specialist and an IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, after which within the military reserve till 2020.
He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 till January 2010, a military spokesperson stated, including that he held the rank of Workers Sergeant on the finish of his service.
US President Joe Biden stated in an announcement that his authorities “is not going to tolerate any assault on any of our nation’s communities.”
President-elect Donald Trump instantly linked the assault to unlawful immigration, giving no proof, in an announcement made earlier than authorities made clear the suspect was American.
Trump additionally claimed that the nation’s crime fee “is at a stage that no person has ever seen.” In reality, violent crime is sharply down throughout the nation, in accordance with the FBI.
– Horror in iconic neighborhood –
Within the early hours of the yr’s first day, revelers have been celebrating within the French Quarter, a district famend for its bars, eating places, jazz historical past and Mardi Gras events.
Bystander Zion Parsons stated he noticed that immediately flip right into a scene of horror.
“One of the simplest ways I can describe it’s actually a conflict zone,” he instructed CNN. “There have been our bodies and blood and all of the trash.”
“Individuals have been terrified, operating, screaming,” he stated.
One other witness, Jimmy Cothran, instructed ABC that the mayhem was “madness.”
“We immediately counted, I would say, 10 our bodies — six clearly graphically victims, and the others yelling with nobody round,” he stated.
New Orleans is among the most closely visited locations in america and on February 9 will stage the NFL’s Tremendous Bowl sport — one of many greatest sporting occasions of the yr.
The assault got here simply hours earlier than the town was attributable to host the Sugar Bowl, a significant school soccer sport that includes groups from the College of Georgia and Notre Dame.
That sport was delayed for twenty-four hours, officers stated.
Policing had already been heavy over the New Yr’s vacation, in accordance with the town, as authorities braced for large crowds.
The town police division had introduced staffing at “one hundred pc, with an extra 300 officers helping from companion regulation enforcement businesses,” together with on horseback and utilizing unmarked items.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)