FBI Confirms Lone Wolf Attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The FBI has confirmed that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an Army veteran, acted alone when he drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, reversing earlier claims about accomplices. The determined attack, inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group, resulted in the deaths of 14 people, including Jabbar, who was shot in a confrontation with police. Around 30 others sustained injuries.
Before the attack, Jabbar posted five videos on social media expressing his support for IS and detailing his violent intentions. "This was an act of terrorism," stated Christopher Raia of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, emphasizing Jabbar’s complete radicalization. The FBI also discovered crude bombs placed in the area, though these were disarmed, and concluded they were meant to amplify the attack’s carnage.
Jabbar’s background includes service in the Army from 2007 to 2020, but friends and family expressed disbelief over his actions. His brother, Abdur-Rahim Jabbar, remarked that these behaviors were entirely out of character, citing recent interactions that revealed no signs of extremism.
Investigators are probing Jabbar’s radicalization path, which notably included international travel to Egypt in 2023, although the details of that trip remain unclear. In the aftermath, New Orleans has reopened Bourbon Street and is preparing for upcoming large events, including the Super Bowl. Mayor LaToya Cantrell reaffirmed the city’s readiness to host visitors and ensure safety despite the tragedy.
The Christmas Eve attack highlights the ongoing threat of individual acts of terrorism as authorities anticipate shifts in national security policies under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.