A man identified as the driver who killed at least 15 people in an attack in New Orleans can now be seen in resurfaced footage introducing himself and offering up information about his background.
US citizen and Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, has been identified by the FBI as the man accused of driving a pickup truck into a crowd of people celebrating the New Year, resulting in more than a dozen deaths and at least 35 people injured.
The attack took place shortly after 3am local time on January 1 on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, where the black truck was seen flying an ISIS flag as it crashed into the crowd.
People were urged to get away from the area after the attack (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
According to televised remarks shared by President Joe Biden in the wake of the attack, the FBI found evidence of Jabbar posting to social media just hours earlier, sharing videos ‘indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill’.
After the truck came to a stop, the driver began firing a gun and injured two police officers before he was killed by police gunfire.
The FBI is now investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, with FBI special agent Alethea Duncan revealing that investigators ‘do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible’ for the attack.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar was identified by authorities (FBI)
As information about the incident continues to come to light, a video has resurfaced which shows Jabbar introducing himself as a property manager and team lead.
“I just want to say hello and let you know a little bit about me,” Jabbar says in the video. “I’m born and raised in Beaumont, Texas and now live in Houston. I’ve been here all my life, with the exception of traveling for the military, where I spent 10 years as a human resources specialist and IT specialist, where I learned the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously.”
Jabbar goes on to talk about his skills as a real estate agent, even giving out his phone number for prospective clients.
Following the New Years’ attack, police described the driver’s actions as ‘very intentional’ and claimed he was ‘hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did’.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said: “This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could.
The FBI is now looking at a ‘range of suspects’ in relation to the attack, while also working to determine any potential affiliations or associations Jabbar may have had with terrorist associations.
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Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Getty Images/MATTHEW HINTON
Topics: Crime, Terrorism, US News, Joe Biden, Texas, Social Media
At least 15 people were killed in New Orleans when a driver plowed his pick-up truck through a busy street in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Dozens more were injured in the horrific attack and now CCTV footage shows the horrifying moment the suspect, who has been identified as Texan Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove his vehicle into a crowd in the Bourbon Street area.
Warning: This video contains scenes which some viewers may find distressing.
The former US veteran, who served in Afghanistan, is believed to have had an ISIS flag located in the truck which he rented – while the FBI is investigating the attack as an ‘act of terrorism’.
The agency does not believe the 42-year-old acted alone, adding that he may not be ‘solely responsible’.
The twice-married Jabbar was killed during a gun fight with authorities.
The FBI released a statement yesterday (January 1), which read in part: “Today, at approximately 3:15 a.m. CST, an individual drove a pickup truck into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 10 and injuring dozens of others.
“After hitting the crowd, he exited the vehicle and fired upon local law enforcement. Law enforcement returned fire, and the subject was pronounced deceased at the scene. Two law enforcement officers were injured and transported to a local hospital.
“The subject has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which appears to have been rented, and we are working to confirm how the subject came into possession of the vehicle.”
People are being advised to stay away from the area (CBS News)
It continued: “An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and the FBI is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.
“Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject’s vehicle. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter.
“The FBI’s special agent bomb technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if any of these devices are viable, and they will work to render those devices safe.
“The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism. We are aggressively running down all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject.”
Meanwhile, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick explained that Jabbar managed to access the sidewalk by driving around barricades and police vehicles.
“We had a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and he still got around,” Kirkpatrick said, per CBS News.
A statement from President Joe Biden, in part, said: “I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury.
“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind.
“I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share.
“In the meantime, 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.”
