Wed Jan 01 19:59:51 UTC 2025: **New Orleans Car-Ramming Attack Kills 15, Leaves Dozens Injured; Suspect Identified as ISIS-Affiliated Military Veteran**
NEW ORLEANS, LA – A horrific car-ramming attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter on New Year’s Day has left 15 dead and over 30 injured. Authorities are investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning when a Ford pickup truck plowed into a crowd celebrating the new year. The driver, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen and military veteran from Texas, then exchanged gunfire with law enforcement officers, wounding two before being killed.
FBI Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan stated that Jabbar may not have acted alone and appealed to the public for information. Investigators discovered what appeared to be an explosive device and an ISIS flag inside Jabbar’s vehicle.
The incident has prompted an outpouring of grief and condolences from national leaders, including outgoing President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick described the attack as “very intentional” and “evil,” vowing that the city would overcome this tragedy.
The French Quarter, a major tourist destination, is reeling from the attack, which has dealt a blow to the city’s vital tourism industry. The FBI is leading the ongoing investigation into the motive behind the attack.
First Piper 