Driver rams New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, killing 10; FBI doesn’t believe he acted alone.

A New Orleans driver had an ISIS flag and weapons in his vehicle. 

 Officials said they did not believe the suspect who rammed into New Year’s revelers was “solely responsible” for the attack, which killed at least 10 people, and were hunting for possible connections to terrorist organizations.  More than 30 people were injured in the attack around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday turned festive Bourbon Street into macabre mayhem and led to a one-day postponement of a college football playoff game that drew tens of thousands of fans to the city.

The FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran from Texas, and said it is working to determine Jabbar’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations. The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and said it does not believe the driver acted alone. An Islamic State group flag was found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch, the FBI said. "We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan told a press conference.

Superintendent of Police for the New Orleans Police Department Anne Kirkpatrick makes a statement after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans’ Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. 

Guns and pipe bombs were also found in the vehicle, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. The devices, concealed within coolers, were wired for remote detonation, the bulletin said, and a corresponding remote control was discovered inside the vehicle. 

Investigators found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, and other potential explosive devices were found in the French Quarter, the FBI said. Two explosive devices were rendered safe, Duncan said. Officials postponed the Sugar Bowl, a classic American college football game played in New Orleans each New Year's Day, for 24 hours, event organizers said. The city will also be the site of the NFL Super Bowl on Feb. 9.

One city leader described the assailant as being in full military gear.

"This is not just an act of terrorism, this is evil," Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told the press conference. 

Authorities said Jabbar drove onto a sidewalk, going around a police car positioned to block vehicular traffic and protect Bourbon Street revelers. A barrier system designed to prevent vehicle attacks was undergoing repairs in preparation for the Super Bowl, which is being played in the city in February.

Police killed Jabbar after he exited the vehicle and opened fire on responding officers, police said. Three officers returned fire. Two were shot and are in stable condition, police said. They were in addition to 33 people injured in the vehicle attack.

A photo circulated among law enforcement officials showed a bearded Jabbar wearing camouflage next to the truck after he was killed.

Investigators recovered a handgun and AR-style rifle after the shootout, a law enforcement official said. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“When I got to work this morning, it was kind of pandemonium everywhere,” Derick Fleming, chief bellhop at a downtown hotel, told The Associated Press. “There were a couple of bodies on the ground covered up. Police were looking for bombs in garbage cans.”

University of Georgia President Jere Morehead said a student was critically injured in the attack and is receiving medical treatment.

Zion Parsons told NOLA.com that he and two friends were leaving a Bourbon Street restaurant when he heard a “commotion” and “banging” and turned to see a vehicle barreling onto the pavement toward them. He dodged the vehicle, but it struck one of his friends. “I yell her name, and I turn my head, and her leg is twisted and contorted above and around her back. And there was just blood,” Parsons said. The 18-year-old said he ran after hearing gunshots shortly thereafter.

“As you’re walking down the street, you can just look and see bodies, just bodies of people, just bleeding, broken bones,” he said. “I just ran until I couldn’t hear anything anymore.”

“We recognize that there are tourists around us, and we urge all to avoid the French Quarter as this is an active investigation,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said. “We understand the concerns of the community and want to reassure everyone that the safety of the French Quarter and the city of New Orleans remains our top priority.”

President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters in Delaware, said he felt “anger and frustration” over the attack but would refrain from further comment until more is known.

“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday,” Biden said in a statement. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”

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