New Orleans mass casualty event is being investigated as terrorism

January 1, 2025 – NEW ORLEANS, LA - Federal law enforcement agencies investigating the New Orleans mass casualty event have identified the assassin as Shamsud-Di Jabbar, age 42. Jabbar is a U.S.-born citizen from Texas.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan said that law enforcement do not believe Jabbar acted alone and that the FBI is searching for potential other suspects. He did have an ISIS flag in his truck. The FBI reports that improvised explosive devices were found in the Ford truck that Jabbar used to plow over dozens of people after 3:00 in the morning in Bourbon Street area. Other IEDs have been found in the French Quarter.

Jabbar is a U.S. Army veteran who converted to Islam in recent months. He has been married twice and has daughters age 15 and 20. He is divorced. There are reports that the Ford pickup used in the attack cross the U.S./Mexico border on November 16; but that Jabbar was not the driver.

As a result of the ongoing security concerns, the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame that was to be played this evening has been postponed. Authorities insist that the game will still be played in New Orleans, but on Thursday with heightened security protocols.

President Joseph R. Biden (D) has released a statement.

"I have been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight," President Biden said. "The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury. I have directed my team 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. "

"I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share," President Biden concluded. "In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities.'

On Wednesday afternoon, a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames Wednesday morning in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver has reportedly been killed. There are numerous people wounded from the explosion. It is not known whether the explosion was intentional or not, much less whether or not this incident is in any way related to the New Orleans attack. This is a still developing story.

Original reporting by the Hill International Business Times, and NBC News contributed to this report.

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