Key Points
- A man plowed a truck into pedestrians celebrating New Year's Eve in New Orleans.
- The suspect, a 42-year-old US Army veteran, was killed in a shootout with police.
- The FBI said an Islamic State group flag was found in the vehicle.
A United States Army veteran who drove a truck into a New Orleans crowd on New Year's Day, killing 15 and injuring dozens, was "inspired by" the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group and had "a desire to kill," President Joe Biden has said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the attacker — who died in a police shootout — as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen from Texas who served as an IT specialist in the military and appeared to have subsequently worked as a real estate agent in Houston.
New Orleans police earlier described Jabbar as a "terrorist," while the FBI said an IS group flag had been found in his vehicle. Officials added that a manhunt was underway and that they "do not believe Jabbar was solely responsible".
US law enforcement is now investigating whether there is a link between the New Orleans attack and the in Las Vegas which has killed at least one person and wounded seven, Biden added.
Video footage from the Las Vegas incident showed the electric vehicle pull outside a hotel part-owned by US president-elect Donald Trump, before it burst into flames.
"Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans," Biden said, adding there was no evidence yet linking the events.
Earlier on Wednesday, the FBI said in a statement it was also working to determine if Jabbar had any "potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations".
Biden said that hours before the attack Jabbar had posted videos online "indicating that he was inspired by" the IS group.
CNN, citing officials briefed on the investigation, said that in the videos Jabbar mentioned dreaming about joining the group and spoke about how he had contemplated killing his family following his divorce.
The IS group is an Islamist militant organisation that once following a sustained military campaign by a US-led coalition.
Even as it has been weakened in the field, it has continued to recruit sympathisers online, experts say.
How the attack unfolded
Police said the incident happened around 3.15am local time on Wednesday in the heart of the city's French Quarter, which was packed with people celebrating the start of 2025.
The suspect drove a white Ford F-150 electric pick-up truck into a group of pedestrians, then exited and was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police — two of whom were wounded. Two homemade bombs were found and neutralised, the FBI said.
"This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could," New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters.
Driving at "very high speed" and in a "very intentional" manner, "he was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," she said.
The wounded officers were in stable condition and Kirkpatrick said they would recover.
Officials postponed the Sugar Bowl, a classic American college football game played in New Orleans each New Year's Day, for 24 hours, event organisers said. The city will also be the site of the NFL Super Bowl on 9 February.
Police chief Anne Kirkpatrick says a suspect was "trying to run over as many people as he could". Source: AP / Gerald Herbert
"Our nation grieves with you," he added, promising that his administration would support the city as its citizens "begin the hard work of healing".
As well as killing at least 15, Jabbar also injured about 30 other people, including the two police officers who were wounded by gunfire.
Among the victims was a mother of a 4-year-old who had just moved into a new apartment after getting a promotion at work, a New York financial employee and accomplished student athlete who was visiting home for the holidays, and an 18-year-old aspiring nurse from Mississippi.
What we know about the suspect and alleged motive
While an investigation is ongoing, so far no information has surfaced to explain why Jabbar would carry out the New Orleans attack.
Jabbar served in the Army as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from 2007 until 2015. He then joined the Army Reserve as an IT specialist until 2020, holding the rank of staff sergeant at the end of service, according to an Army official.
Jabbar deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010, the official said.
Before serving in the Army, Jabbar enlisted in the Navy in August 2004 under a delayed entry program but was discharged a month later, a Navy official told Reuters.
Corporate records show that Jabbar got involved in a series of businesses in recent years.
In a promotional video for a real estate business posted to YouTube in 2020, a man with the same name as the suspect said his time in the military had taught him the importance of great service and taking everything seriously.
"I've taken those skills and applied them to my career as a real estate agent, where I feel like what really sets me apart from other agents is my ability to be able to one be a fierce negotiator," he said, encouraging clients to give him a call.
Witnesses describe horror in iconic neighbourhood
In the early hours of the year's first day, revellers were celebrating in New Orleans' French Quarter, a district renowned for its bars, restaurants, jazz history and Mardi Gras parties.
A couple told CBS News that they heard crashing noises coming from down the street and then saw a white truck slam through a barricade "at a high rate of speed".
Another witness, Jimmy Cothran, told ABC the mayhem was "insanity".
Witnesses say a white pickup truck slammed through a barricade at high speed and hit pedestrians. Source: AP / Gerald Herbert
In response to vehicle attacks on pedestrian malls around the world, New Orleans was in the process of removing and replacing the steel barriers known as bollards that restrict vehicle traffic in the Bourbon Street pedestrian zone. The project's status was unclear at the time of Wednesday's attack.
Construction began in November 2024 and was scheduled to continue through February 2025, according to a city website.
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