NEW ORLEANS — Investigators were looking into whether others were involved in the rampage that killed 15 people and injured dozens when the driver of a pickup truck sped through a crowd of pedestrians in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter district early on New Year’s Day.
The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and said it does not believe the suspect acted alone. The agency said the driver, a U.S. citizen from Texas, was killed in a shootout with police.
Investigators found guns and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle - which bore the flag of the Islamic State group - along with other explosive devices elsewhere in the French Quarter.
Wednesday’s attack unfolded on Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties. Large crowds also gathered in the city ahead of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl that had been scheduled for later Wednesday at the nearby Superdome. The game was postponed until Thursday afternoon following the attack.
Here’s what we know about the attack:
Police said the driver steered around a police blockade and raced through a crowd along Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday as revelers gathered to celebrate the new year. At least 15 people were killed and about 30 injured. Two police officers wounded in a shootout with the suspect were in stable condition.
Authorities also found potential explosive devices in the French Quarter, the FBI said. Surveillance footage showed three men and a woman placing one of multiple improvised explosive devices, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.
The FBI said the driver was 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, an Army veteran from Texas.
President Joe Biden said the FBI told him that Jabbar posted videos on social media just hours before the attack indicating that he was inspired by the Islamic State group.
An IS flag was found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch, the FBI said. The bureau is trying to determine if Jabbar was associated with any terrorist organizations.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said during a news conference that the agency does not believe Jabbar acted alone.
Jabbar enlisted in the Army in 2007, working in both human resources and information technology. He deployed to Afghanistan in February 2009 for nearly a year, and later transferred into the U.S. Army Reserve, the service said in a statement. Jabbar left the military in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
Court records show Jabbar faced a deteriorating financial situation in 2022 while separating from his then-wife. Jabbar said he was behind on house payments and had accumulated credit card debt and wanted to quickly finalize the divorce.
At the time, court documents show he made about $10,000 a month doing business development and other work for the consulting firm Deloitte. In a statement, Deloitte said Jabbar had “served in a staff-level role” since being hired in 2021 and that the company was doing all it could to assist authorities.
Guns and pipe bombs were found in the suspect’s vehicle, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. The devices were concealed within coolers and wired for remote detonation with a remote control that also was found in the vehicle, the bulletin said.
Biden said Wednesday evening the FBI was looking into whether an explosion outside a Las Vegas hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump was connected to the New Orleans attack.
Fireworks and camp fuel canisters were found in a Tesla Cybertruck that blew up outside the Trump International Hotel early Wednesday, killing a suspect inside the vehicle.
Authorities said Bourbon Street was filled with revelers toasting the start of 2025 and in the city for the college football playoff game between No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame when the attack occurred.
Among the victims were an aspiring nurse, a former football player and a single mother. Officials have not yet released the names of the people killed.
City documents show New Orleans has been in the midst of a major project to remove and replace post-like barriers called bollards designed to prevent vehicle attacks along Bourbon Street. That project began in November and involves replacing old bollards with new removable stainless steel bollards.
Wednesday’s attack in New Orleans is the latest example of a vehicle being used as a weapon to carry out mass violence. The trend has alarmed law enforcement officials because such attacks can be difficult to protect against. Last month, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor plowed into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers in the German city of Magdeburg, killing four women and a 9-year-old boy.
Associated Press reporter Tara Copp contributed from Washington.
This story has been corrected to show that the Sugar Bowl was moved to Thursday afternoon, not Thursday night.