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FBI says weapons, potential IED were found in the vehicle.
NEW ORLEANS — The suspect in a mass killing of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s Day has been identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar.
The FBI said Din Jabbar, a US citizen from Texas, was carrying an ISIS flag in the Ford pickup truck he rented, he was dressed in military gear and had weapons in the vehicle.
Among the weapons, included a potential IED. The FBI said that other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter.
“He was very prepared to inflict horrific pain on the people on Bourbon Street,” City Council President Helena Moreno said in an interview with WWL-TV Investigator David Hammer.
Moreno said the FBI is bringing in people from Quantico and leading the investigation of the mass killing. as an act of terrorism after a pickup truck plowed into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
15 people were reported dead along with dozens of others injured. Moreno said she suspects the number of fatalities could rise. New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said Din Jabbar intentionally made his way around barriers set up on Bourbon Street as a precaution against just such types of incidents.
Din Jabbar opened fire on officers once his pickup came to a stop, injuring two of them, who were said to both be stable. Officers fired back, killing Din Jabbar.
Investigations are underway to see if he had help in the attack.
President Joe Biden contacted New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell pledging full support for the city’s response to the incident.
“This was a terrorist who planned to take this type of action,” said Moreno, who appeared on WWL-TV. “Unfortunately now this has come to the City of New Orleans.”
Sugar Bowl game still on at the moment
The Caesars Superdome was being swept by security forces as close to 80,000 people are expected Wednesday night for the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff matchup between Georgia and Notre Dame.
Moreno said that the security perimeter for the game was being extended. Moreno said that more officers are being assigned to game security and that the contest is still expected to take place.
She also said that Bourbon Street will not open “anytime soon,” saying at least 48 hours.
Bourbon Street is expected to draw huge crowds for the upcoming Super Bowl and the annual Mardi Gras celebration.
‘A lot of bodies on the ground’
The New Orleans Police said that once the pickup came to a stop, Din Jabbar began firing, striking two officers.
The FBI issued a statement ahead of an expected 11 am CST press conference to update the situation.
“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
An improvised explosive device was also discovered at the scene, prompting the FBI to take over the investigation. While the agency has stated the incident is not terrorism-related, FBI Special Agent Alicia Duncan said, “We are working on confirming if this is a viable device or not.”
The mass killing occurred as the city of New Orleans is hosting tens of thousands of revelers in town for the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff game between Notre Dame and Georgia.
A former military medic said he saw the scene and it reminded him of his tour in Iraq. “We looked out of the window and there were a lot of bodies on the ground.”
The entire length of Bourbon Street in the French Quarter was shut down to pedestrians and traffic along with several blocks on either side.
