The driver of the deadly New Orleans truck may not have acted alone, he was carrying an ISIS flag By Reuters
Written by Brian Thevenot
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – A U.S. military veteran carrying an ISIS flag in his truck drove through makeshift barricades in New Orleans’ crowded French Quarter on New Year’s Day, killing at least 10 people, and police were searching for others who may have been involved in setting off the explosives. in the area.
About 35 people were injured in the attack at 3:15 am (0915 GMT), near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic tourist area known for its music and bars where crowds celebrated the New Year. After charging into the crowd in his van, the driver was shot dead during a shootout with police, officials said.
Police identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, an American citizen from Texas. Officials said the death toll may rise as some of the injured are in critical condition.
Surveillance video captured three men and a woman setting off an explosive device in a French neighborhood, the Associated Press reported, citing an intelligence report from the Louisiana State Police.
The report said the weapons were hidden in coolers and wired for remote detonation, and a remote control was found in the suspect’s car, AP reported.
The Sugar Bowl, the classic college football game played in New Orleans each year on New Year’s Day, was postponed 24 hours until Thursday night as police swept parts of the city for possible fireworks and met with neighbors for clues. The city will also be the site of the NFL Super Bowl on February 9.
‘SCHEDULE OF SUSPECTS’
An ISIS flag was found in a rental car, prompting an investigation into possible links to terrorist organizations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
“We don’t believe that Jabbar is the only one doing this. We are taking down all the leaders, including the known ones we are with,” FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan told reporters.
Public records show that Jabbar worked at homes in Houston. In a promotional video posted four years ago, Jabbar describes himself as born and raised in Beaumont, a town about 80 miles (130 km) east of Houston, who spent 10 years in the US military as a human resources and IT specialist. .
Jabbar said the military is where he learned the importance of great service and taking things seriously.
“So I took those skills and used them in my work as a real estate agent, where I feel that what makes me different from other agents is my ability to negotiate aggressively,” he said. video.
The FBI’s Duncan said he believed he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, which did not immediately respond to a Reuters request to confirm his service record.
Asked how many people the FBI might be working with, he said there were “a lot of suspects” and urged anyone who had contact with Jabbar in the past 72 hours to contact authorities.
Investigators found weapons and an explosive in the car, and two other explosives were found in the French Quarter and were safe, the FBI said.
‘SHOUTING AND PLAYING’
Mike and Kimberly Strickland of Mobile, Alabama, said they were in New Orleans for a bluegrass concert and were returning to their hotel about 20 yards (meters) from where the truck hit some pedestrians.
“There were people everywhere,” Kimberly Strickland said in an interview. “You just hear this screeching and the roar of the engine and this loud noise and then people screaming and debris – just metal – the sound of metal breaking and bodies.”
About 400 police officers were on duty in the French Quarter at the time of the incident, including a number of officers who had set up a barrier to prevent anyone from driving in the pedestrian area, police said.
“This is not just an act of terrorism, this is bad,” police chief Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters. He said two police officers were injured by gunfire and were in stable condition.
In response to the onslaught of cars on pedestrian malls around the world, New Orleans has been in the process of removing and replacing metal barriers known as bollards that restrict traffic along Bourbon Street.
Construction began in November and was scheduled to be completed in time for the Super Bowl, officials said. At that point, police cars and officers tried to stop it, Kirkpatrick said.
“The terrorist drove around, pulled onto the side of the road and circled around the target,” Kirkpatrick said.
Although mass shootings are often a threat in the United States, machine guns have been used to kill civilians in the US and around the world.
Last month in Germany, a 50-year-old man was charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder after police said he plowed a car into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing five people and injuring dozens.
