New Orleans is in mourning after a man drove a rented pickup truck into a Bourbon Street crowd early Wednesday, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old realtor and Army veteran from Texas, plowed into revelers and fired on police before being killed. Officials are calling the incident a terrorist attack despite an earlier statement to the contrary, provoking criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, who called the attack ”pure evil” and linked it to rising crime and illegal immigration, even though Jabbar was born in the US. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, said there was “no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities.”
Authorities found an Islamic State flag in the attacker’s truck, but it is not clear whether Jabbar was formally connected to an organized terrorist group. FBI Assistant Special Agent Althea Duncan confirmed that Jabbar did not act alone, citing surveillance footage showing other individuals planting explosive devices nearby. A detonator was found in Jabbar’s truck and two pipe bombs were defused. Investigators are piecing together his motives and searching for other suspects.
Security fail? While New Orleans had security barriers in place, they were not functioning because they were being transported to secure the Sugar Bowl, a college football game, which was scheduled for Wednesday. The game between Georgia and Notre Dame was postponed until Thursday.
The incident comes just a week after a similar attack by vehicle at a Christmas market in Germany, raising fears that such attacks could further proliferate – as well as fears over law enforcement’s ability to defend against them.