At least 15 died after a vehicle plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street, a tourist street with bars and night clubs; Suspect died in confrontation with police
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday night (1st) that the perpetrator of the attack that killed at least 15 people in New Orleans was inspired by the terrorist organization “Islamic State” (IS), citing information from the FBI. .
The suspect posted videos hours before the attack in which he claimed to be acting “inspired” by the Islamic State, the president said.
The FBI identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old former military man who lives in Texas and served in Afghanistan. He was a real estate agent in Houston and had been a computer specialist in the military for 10 years. A flag of the terrorist group IS was found in his car.
The man was wearing military clothing and carrying a pistol and a rifle. He was also carrying a possible improvised explosive device. The FBI is investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism.”
The suspect was killed during a shootout with police.
Search for possible accomplices
The FBI also said it does not believe the New Orleans attacker was “solely responsible” for the attack, indicating that his accomplices may still be at large. They asked for the public’s help in locating other suspects.
Joe Biden called the mayor of New Orleans to offer “full federal support” after the attack, which the White House called “horrific.”
At a press conference at Camp David, Biden offered his condolences to the victims and their families, saying: “To all the families of those who were killed, to all those who were injured, to all the people of New Orleans who are grieving, I want you to know that I am grieving with you.”
With police continuing to search for possible co-conspirators, Biden said authorities were investigating whether there was a connection between what happened in New Orleans and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas also on Wednesday night.
How the attack occurred
Fifteen people died and at least 35 were injured after a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans, in the state of Louisiana, at dawn this Wednesday.
The driver then left the vehicle with a gun and began exchanging fire with police officers.
The attack occurred at 3:15 am (local time, 6:15 am Brasília time) on Bourbon Street and Canal Street, tourist streets with bars and nightclubs in the French Quarter, a popular destination for New Year celebrations.
Local police chief Anne Kirkpatrick said the suspect tried to “run over as many people as possible” and injured two police officers. Both are in stable health.
The attack in New Orleans is the latest in a series of vehicle attacks that have been repeated in recent years, many with political motivations. In December 2024, for example, a man killed five and injured 200 after attacking a Christmas market in Germany.
In China, in November, a driver ran over a group of people exercising at a sports complex, leaving 35 people dead. In June 2021, in Canada, four people from a Muslim family were run over and murdered in what authorities considered “a terrorist attack motivated by hate”.
Two other tragedies of this type occurred in the United States in 2017. In October, a man killed eight people in New York, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State. In Charlottesville, an intended white supremacist drove into protesters, killing a woman.
With information from DW*
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/01/02/fbi-investiga-ataque-em-nova-orleans-como-ato-de-terrorismo/
