Just hours into 2025, an attack in New Orleans killed 15 people and injured dozens more.
Early Wednesday, a Texas man drove a truck through a street of New Year's revelers in what the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism. The attack took place on Bourbon Street, a popular party destination.
Authorities have identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, and revealed that his truck flew an Islamic State flag during the attack. Jabbar died Wednesday in a gunfight with police.
What happened?
Around 3:15 a.m. local time, the suspect drove a white Ford pickup into New Year's celebrations. He drove his truck, which was flying an ISIS flag, onto a sidewalk and bypassed a police vehicle, officials said.
After Jabbar crashed the truck, he opened fire on police officers, wounding two. Jabbar was killed.
The FBI revealed that Jabbar also had weapons and a possible improvised explosive device in his truck, which was rented.
Eyewitnesses recalled "bodies and screams" in the moments after the attack, which took place in the city's French Quarter.
"It was unbelievable," said a witness, Jimmy Cothran. "It just kept going."
The suspect
Authorities identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. Army veteran from Texas. Jabbar was an American citizen.
Investigators said they do not believe Jabbar was "solely responsible" for the attack, though authorities have not released the identities of anyone else possibly involved. The FBI has asked the public for assistance.
Jabbar served in the Army from 2006 to 2015, followed by a stint in the Army Reserve from 2015 to 2020, when he was honorably discharged, officials said. In 2009, he was deployed to Afghanistan, where he was an administrative clerk.
Jabbar was charged in 2002 with misdemeanor theft and in 2005 with driving with an invalid license, according to Texas criminal records. In 2020, his second wife filed a motion for a temporary restraining order, according to public records.
The victims
Authorities initially said 10 people were killed and later revised the death toll to 15. Not all of the victims' identities have been released in the attack, which also injured dozens of others.
One of the victims was identified by his former high school and university as Martin "Tiger" Bech, a football player for Princeton University who graduated in 2021.
Princeton football coach Bob Surace said in a statement that Bech was "a ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend."
Another victim was identified as Reggie Hunter, 37, a father of two from Louisiana, a relative told NBC News.
Shirell Jackson, Hunter’s cousin, described him as an "awesome person" and "a little-bitty guy" with a "big heart." Hunter was very funny and loved his sons, who are 1 and 11 years old, Jackson said.
Ni’Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, 18, was also killed, her grandmother told The New York Times. Dedeaux’s mother mourned her daughter on Facebook, asking people to pray for her family.
The investigation
Although the FBI said Wednesday that investigators do not believe the suspect acted alone, there is no active manhunt for other suspects, according to law enforcement sources.
Earlier Wednesday, the FBI investigated whether anyone was involved in placing containers that they worried may have been improvised explosive devices. However, those people were ruled out as suspects, a senior law enforcement official said.
President Joe Biden said in an address to the nation Wednesday that the FBI told him that in the hours before the attack, Jabbar posted videos to social media "indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill."
Biden said that "the investigation is continuing to be active, and no one should jump to conclusions."
