NEW ORLEANS – Many questions remained unanswered for more than 24 hours after a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s celebrants on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing fourteen people and injuring dozens of others.
The FBI is now confident the attack was an act of terrorism. They identified the driver as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbara self-proclaimed ISIS supporter.
Officials have not yet released the names of those killed, but have released their names Families and friends have started sharing their stories. About 35 people were injured.
FILE – Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies work the scene on Bourbon Street after at least 15 people were killed when a pickup truck plowed into a crowd in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana
Here is the latest information:
FBI investigates truck attack in New Orleans
What we know: At around 3:15 a.m. local time, the driver of a rented pickup truck drove onto the sidewalk, driving around a police car positioned to block vehicular traffic, and crashed into partygoers celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street.
The driver was killed by police after he exited the truck and opened fire on responding officers, authorities said. Three officers returned fire, two were shot and were in stable condition.
Authorities also found two potential explosives hidden in coolers, the FBI said. Initially, officers were looking for accomplices who may have placed them in the French Quarter, but now they say those people were just bystanders and that Jabbar acted alone.
What we don’t know: Officials lowered the death toll from 15 to 14 but have not yet identified the victims killed in the attack.
Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna of New Orleans said in a statement late Wednesday that they will release the names of the dead once autopsies are completed and that they have spoken to next of kin.
Members of the FBI and New Orleans Police Department work the scene on Bourbon Street after at least ten people were killed when a person reportedly drove into a crowd in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, January 1, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Fol
What’s next: The FBI is seeking more information. They want to talk to anyone who knew Jabbar and any witnesses who may have seen the improvised explosive devices he left behind in the French Quarter.
“Whether you know Jabar, worked with him personally, served in the military, or saw him in New Orleans or Texas, we need to talk to you,” FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia said Thursday. “You may not think you have relevant information, but what you know may be connected to the leads of one of our investigators.”
Full Thursday afternoon briefing: FBI now believes no one assisted Jabbar in the attack
The FBI provided an update early Wednesday on an attack in which a U.S. Army veteran drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s celebrants in New Orleans, killing 14 people.
Timeline:
- Jabbar picked up the rented truck in Houston on December 30
- Drove to New Orleans on December 31st
- Posted five videos discussing support for ISIS between 1:29 a.m. and 3:02 a.m. on December 31
- Rammed the truck into the crowd around 3:15 am and was then killed in a shootout with police
What they say: “Let me be very clear on this point: this was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act,” Raia said.
Suspect in the New Orleans attack
Digging into Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s past in Texas
Here’s what we know about Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s past in Texas, based on court records in Houston and surrounding areas. Jabbar was identified as the driver who plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people.
What we know: The FBI said Jabbar was a U.S. citizen and Army veteran from Texas. According to the agency, a flag representing the Islamic State was found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch.
The suspect had posted five videos social media hours before the attack, he said he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressed a desire to kill: President Joe Biden said, calling the attack a “despicable” and “heinous act.”
Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, served on active duty in human resources and information technology and deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, the service said. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
What we don’t know: The FBI is trying to determine Jabbar’s motive and specific choice of Bourbon Street for the attack. They also want to know if Jabbar was really associated with ISIS, along with his “path to radicalization.”
Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas
Watch: Cybertruck explosion outside Trump hotel
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department provided updates and released this footage after an explosives-laden Cybertruck burned outside the front doors of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day.
What we know: On the same day as the attack in New Orleans, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, loaded with fireworks and other devicesthe police said.
The driver, identified by police as Matthew Livelsberger, was killed in the blast and seven people nearby were injured.
The police are investigating with the help of the explosion as possible terrorism Tesla CEO Elon Muskwho posted updates on social media.
What we don’t know: It was not clear if the explosion was related apparent terrorist attack along Bourbon Street in New Orleansbut officials now say they don’t believe that’s the case.
Although the rear of the vehicle was loaded with explosives, it was not yet clear how this happened and why.
Sugar Bowl kicks off in New Orleans
What we know: The College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame was postponed a day because of the truck attack, which happened about a mile away.
“Public safety is of the utmost importance,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said during a media conference alongside federal, state and local officials, including Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “All parties agree that it is in the best interests of everyone and public safety that we postpone the game.”
What we don’t know: It was unclear how many traveling fans would still be able to attend the match despite the decision to postpone it by a day. Online ticket prices dropped to less than $25 in some cases as fans with plans to leave Thursday tried to unload them.
What’s next: The game, originally scheduled for Wednesday at 7:45 PM CST in the 70,000-seat Superdome, will now be held Thursday at 3 PM local time.
The winner will advance to the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl against Penn State.
The source: Information in this story came from the FBI, New Orleans Police Department, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and reporting by the Associated Press. It was reported from Cincinnati, and the Associated Press contributed.
Crime and Public SafetyLouisianaTerrorismLouisianaNews