The FBI has identified Shamsud Din Jabbar as the U.S. citizen who drove a pickup truck with an ISIS flag in a crowd of New Year’s Day revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others.
Din Jabbar leaped from his vehicle and began shooting at police, who returned fire and killed him. Two officers were wounded in the shootout.
Authorities said they were looking for other “suspects” they believe may have been involved in the plot, though they were cagey on reasons for their suspicion.
“This is not just an act of terrorism, this is evil,” New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said.
Officials said they expect the death toll to rise, given the carnage of the attack.
Chief Kirkpatrick said Din Jabbar wove around police vehicles placed as roadblocks and drone onto the sidewalk to get onto the city’s Bourbon Street, where the Ford pickup truck smashed into a crowd.
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He was “hell-bent” to run over as many people as he could, she said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the incident is being investigated as “an act of terrorism.”
The FBI said Din Jabbar, 42, is from Texas and is a veteran of the U.S. Army whom they believe was honorably discharged.
An ISIS flag was located in the truck, the FBI said, and agents were trying to determine Din Jabbar’s affiliations with terrorist groups.
Authorities said he was carrying a Glock pistol and a rifle, and had a “potential” improvised explosive device in the Ford pickup truck. They said other potential IEDs had been located in New Orleans as well.
Kevin Garcia, 22, told CNN that he saw a truck slamming into people on a sidewalk and heard gunshots.
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“A body came flying at me,” he said.
Gov. Jeff Landry said he has called in National Guard troops to help secure the city ahead of the upcoming Sugar Bowl college football game, which was postponed from Wednesday to Thursday night.
“We’re hunting some bad people down and we’re securing the city,” he said.
He deflected questions about the other suspects authorities are seeking, calling the situation “very fluid.”
“We want to answer pertinent questions, but anything that would lead to impeding or endangering this investigation is not going to be said,” he told reporters at an afternoon news conference.
The incident occurred at about 3:15 a.m. at Canal and Bourbon streets.
Chief Kirkpatrick said the pickup driver sped down Bourbon Street at “a very fast pace, and it was very intentional behavior.”
There are supposed to be bollards in place to block access to Bourbon Street, but officials said they had been malfunctioning and a replacement was in the works.
They planned to be finished by Feb. 9, when the Super Bowl is scheduled to take place in New Orleans.
In the meantime, police had stationed vehicles and officers to act as roadblocks, but Chief Kirkpatrick said Din Jabbar was determined to get around the precautions.
“We did indeed have a plan but the terrorist defeated it,” the chief said.
President Biden said in a statement called it a “horrific incident.”
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities,” he said.
President-elect Donald Trump also weighed in, saying the incident was an “act of pure evil” and part of a wave of lawlessness.
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” he said on social media.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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