New Orleans: Driver plows into Bourbon Street crowd, killing 15
NEW ORLEANS - A driver wrought carnage on New Orleans' famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, ramming a pickup truck into a crowd and killing 15 people before being shot to death by police, authorities said.
More than 30 people were injured in the attack, which the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism.
The driver was killed in a firefight with police following the attack around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday along Bourbon Street near Canal Street in an area teeming with New Year's revelers, the FBI said.
New Orleans Update: 10 killed, 30 injured
At least 10 people were killed and more than 30 injured in New Orleans after a man driving a pickup truck plowed into a large crowd of people celebrating the new year in the famed Bourbon Street area, authorities said. New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick referred to the incident as "very intentional behavior" during a press conference early Wednesday, saying the suspect was "trying to run over as many people as he could."
Here is what transpired as the investigation unfolded following the deadly attack on Wednesday. All times are in Central Time.
6:01 p.m.
President Joe Biden spoke on Wednesday evening and reiterated details of the attack, "The spirit of New Orleans will never be defeated."
Biden said federal agents are investigating whether the truck attack in New Orleans was linked to the explosion of a Telsa Cybertruck outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel.
"There’s nothing to report on that score at this time," Biden said.
The Tesla Cybertruck appeared to be carrying fireworks when it caught fire and exploded Wednesday. One person died and seven others were injured.
Officials also announced Wednesday evening that the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame would be pushed back to 3 p.m. on Thursday.
The game was originally set for Wednesday night in New Orleans.
4:04 p.m.
The driver in the attack in New Orleans previously served in the Army.
A U.S. official said Shamsud-Din Jabbar got out of the Army in 2015 but it was not clear if he went into the Reserve after that. He served as an information technology specialist, the official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not yet been made public.
3:10 p.m.
Law enforcement officers have closed off a road leading to a Houston residence that records indicate was a recent address of the suspect in the New Orleans attack.
The white mobile home was behind a gate and in a small neighborhood where goats and ducks were roaming the grass.
2:06 p.m.
Investigators have reviewed video of three men and a woman placing explosives in the probe of the New Orleans attack, a document shows.
Investigators found multiple improvised explosives, including two pipe bombs that were concealed within coolers and wired for remote detonation, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.
The bulletin, relying on preliminary information gathered soon after the attack, also cited surveillance footage that it said showed three men and a woman placing one of the devices, but federal officials did not immediately confirm that detail and it wasn’t clear who they were or what connection they had to the attack, if any.
Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck onto a sidewalk, going around a police car that was positioned to block vehicular traffic, authorities said. A barrier system meant to prevent vehicle attacks was being repaired in preparation for the Super Bowl in February.
Jabbar was killed by police after he exited the truck and opened fire on responding officers, Kirkpatrick said. Three officers returned fire. Two were shot and are in stable condition.
Investigators recovered a handgun and AR-style rifle, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
1:20 p.m.
The Sugar Bowl has been postponed for 24 hours after an attack during New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans left 10 people dead and at least 35 injured.
AllState Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley says the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame will be held Thursday. It had been scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Hundley says the decision was made in the interest of public safety.
RELATED: New Orleans: What we know about the victims after car plows through crowd
1:07 p.m.
Authorities hold a news conference, confirming the suspect's identity but adding they don't think he acted alone. They are seeking the public's help with more information.
Gov. Jeff Landry, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne E. Kirkpatrick, and Louisiana State Police Col. Robert P. Hodges spoke at the briefing.
Authorities say that the driver of the truck that rammed into the crowd in New Orleans drove onto a sidewalk, going around a police car that was positioned to block vehicular traffic and protect Bourbon Street revelers.
A barrier system designed to prevent vehicle attacks was undergoing repairs in preparation for the Super Bowl, which is being played in the city in February.
12 p.m.
Law enforcement has identified the driver who killed 10 people and injured dozens in New Orleans as a 42-year-old man, six law enforcement officials tell The Associated Press.
The officials identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar.
Investigators were working to gather additional information about Jabbar’s background and investigating an unfurled black flag that was with the vehicle, the officials said.
RELATED: New Orleans: What we know about the suspect in fatal crowd crash
A photo circulated among law enforcement officials showed a bearded Jabbar wearing camouflage next to the truck after he was killed by police.
The FBI said an Islamic State group flag was recovered in the vehicle used by the Jabbar, who killed at least 10 in New Orleans. FBI officials also said they also found weapons and a potential IED that were located in the truck. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter.
11:42 a.m.
The University of Georgia confirmed that one of the surviving victims in the deadly crowd crash was a student.
RELATED: UGA student critically injured during attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans
"At this point, we have learned that a University of Georgia student was critically injured in the attack and is receiving medical treatment," President Jere W. Morehead said in a social media post. "I have spoken to the student’s family and shared my concern, support and well wishes on behalf of the entire UGA community. I would like to express my gratitude to all the first responders who moved so quickly to help those affected by this senseless act of violence, as well as to the medical personnel who are caring for the injured."
11:18 a.m.
The Superdome, set to host a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night, was on lockdown for security sweeps after a truck plowed into a New Year’s crowd about a mile away, killing 10 people and injuring more than 30.
People with offices in the Superdome — including officials with the Sugar Bowl and Sun Belt Conference — were told not to come into work until further notice.
However, there was no immediate word that the Sugar Bowl, scheduled to kick off at 7:45 p.m., might be delayed.
A person familiar with the situation said there was no immediate indication that the game would be delayed but that officials were waiting to get an all-clear from authorities that it would be safe to keep the event at the 70,000-seat stadium on schedule.
11:16 a.m.
Law enforcement recovered a handgun and AR-style rifle after driver killed 10 in New Orleans, official told the Associated Press.
10:55 a.m.
FOX News reports that the truck used in the crime crossed into Texas in November, not two days ago, per sources. Sources also said the driver doesn't appear to have been the suspect in Wednesday's deadly crowd crash.
10:34 a.m.
President Biden addresses reporters after releasing a statement earlier:
I have been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight. The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. 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.
Police cordon off the intersection of Canal Street and Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 1, 2025. (Photo by MATTHEW HINTON/AFP via Getty Images)
10:25 a.m.
The White House releases a statement.
"President Biden called New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell this morning to offer full federal support following the horrific news that a driver killed and injured dozens of individuals in New Orleans overnight," the White House tweeted.
9:52 a.m.
FOX News reports the vehicle used in the crime passed through Eagle Pass, Texas, but the suspect's citizenship status is not known.
9:44 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump releases a statement via Truth Social calling the crime a "pure act of evil."
7 a.m.
Authorities hold a news briefing.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials were investigating the discovery of at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene.
"A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning," Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on social media. "Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene."
Landry also urged "all near the scene to avoid the area."
The suspect died after a gunfire exchange, according to FOX News and the Associated Press, both citing anonymous law enforcement officials. It was unclear if he was hit by an officer or if he ended his own life.
3:15 a.m.
Police said the driver sped through a crowd along Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday as revelers had gathered to celebrate the start of the New Year.
Ten people were killed and more than 30 others were injured and taken to five local hospitals. Two police officers were also wounded in a shootout with the suspect.
Vehicle intentionally slams into New Orleans crowd
A driver in a pickup truck who officials said was "hell-bent on carnage" sped through a crowd of pedestrians in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter district, killing 10 and injuring 30 in an act being investigated as a New Year’s Day terrorist attack. Dr. Roy Taylor, a security consultant, joins LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow to discuss the news as it unfolds.
Investigators were combing the French Quarter for potential explosive devices, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness agency, and the New Orleans Police Department and FBI on Jan. 1, 2025. It was reported from Cincinnati, and the Associated Press contributed.