On Thursday (Jan. 2), the FBI released an update on a U.S. Army veteran’s shooting spree in New Orleans. 14 people died and at least 35 sustained injuries Shamsud Din Jabbar drove his Ford pickup into a crowd on New Year’s Day.
Accordingly the Associated PressLaw enforcement has confirmed that Shamsud-Din acted alone in the attack. However, he was inspired by the Islamic State group.
AP reports that it was the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in years. Among those who died were an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former Princeton University football star.
More details on the New Orleans attack
The FBI also revealed additional details about the now-deceased driver, who was a U.S. citizen from Texas. Hours before the attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar published five videos on his Facebook account proclaiming his support for the militant group ISIS.
Jabbar also warned about this in his videos the violence he planned to commit in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter. In one clip, he admits that he originally planned to harm his family and friends. However, he changed his mind because he feared that the headlines would not focus on the “war between believers and unbelievers.”
“This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act,” said Christopher Raia.
Christopher is the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. He assured the public that Jabbar was “100% inspired by the Islamic State.” As previously mentioned, Jabbar killed 14 people celebrating the holiday when he sped around a barricade and crashed into a crowd. He later died in a gun battle with police.
According to the FBI, Shamsud-Din Jabbar picked up a rented truck in Houston on December 30 and drove it to New Orleans the next day. Later, surveillance video shows Jabbar placing an improvised explosive device in a cooler along the city’s Bourbon Street. However, the agency is confident that no one else seen in the footage helped Jabbar carry out the attack. However, investigators still plan to interview them as witnesses. Jabbar’s device in the cooler and another device were recovered at the scene. Other devices he placed were not functional.
The FBI also recovered a black Islamic State flag from Jabbar’s rented pickup truck. In addition, he left a will, the authorities said.
Brother of Shamsud-Din Jabbar speaks out
By comparison, Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, served on active duty in human resources and information technology, and was stationed in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
Abdur Rahim JabbarJabbar’s younger brother told the Associated Press on Thursday that it was “not realistic” that his brother could have done this.
“I never thought it would be him,” he said. “It’s completely different than him.”
He said his brother had been isolated in recent years, but he had also been in contact with him and he had seen no signs of radicalization. “It’s a complete contradiction to who he was and how his family and friends knew him.” said the brother.
In the meantime, swipe down to see how President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump responded to the incident.
The FBI is eliminating all connections between the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas
New Orleans authorities completed their investigation of the crime scene early Thursday morning and removed the last of the bodies. Bourbon Street – known worldwide for music, open-air drinking and festive cheer – reopened for business in the early afternoon.
Over 1,500 miles away, another incident occurred in Las Vegas, killing one and injuring others. Local police are still investigating whether the incident was a targeted or terrorist attack. However, it was confirmed that the New Year’s Day explosion was NOT a mechanical issue with a Cybertruck. The incident occurred in front of a Trump International Hotel.
The FBI’s Raia has emphasized that this is the case no connection between what happened in New Orleans and Las Vegas.
RELATED: Officials explain the explosion of a Tesla cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel on New Year’s Day
Associated Press reporters who contributed to this report include Eric Tucker, Jim Mustian, Kevin McGill, Ack Brook, Stephen Smith, Chevel Johnson, Brett Martel, Jeff Martin, Alanna Durkin Richer, Tara Copp, Zeke Miller, Darlene Superville in New Castle and Colleen Long and Michael R. Sisak.
What do you think, roommates?
