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A domestic terrorist reportedly affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is alleged to have carried out the New Year’s morning massacre in New Orleans that killed at least fifteen people and left nearly three dozen injured.
Federal law enforcement officials have identified the alleged perpetrator of the attack as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, however it is believed the ex-military attacker did not act alone. In fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon (January 1, 2025) that it was investigating “a range of suspects” in connection with the attack.
Dressed in military fatigues and driving a white Ford F-150 Lightning with Texas license plates, Jabbar – a U.S. citizen and Army veteran – is alleged to have plowed into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street at approximately 3:15 a.m. CST on Wednesday morning.
Jabbar’s truck – a rental electric vehicle – had an upside down ISIS flag affixed to a pole on its trailer hitch as it swerved onto a sidewalk behind a police car strategically positioned to blocked access to the crowded French Quarter street.
Surveillance footage posted online in the aftermath of the attack showed the moment the vehicle believed to have been driven by Jabbar initiated the attack…
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? JUST IN – New footage shows the moment terrorist Shamsud Din Jabbar drove around barricades and police cruiser to carry out the terror attack in New Orleans, Louisiana.
— Dusty (@thatdudedusty) January 1, 2025
H/T: @FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/qlqAAuobSE
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Alethea Duncan, the FBI’s assistant special agent in charge for New Orleans, confirmed to reporters at Wednesday’s press conference that “an ISIS flag was located on the trailer hitch of the vehicle” and that federal agents were working to “determine (Jabbar)’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.”
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters. “He was hellbent on creating the carnage.”
After striking dozens of partygoers at a high rate of speed, Jabbar emerged from the vehicle armed with a rifle and opened fire on responding officers – three of whom returned fire. Two of these responding officers were wounded during the ensuing exchange of gunfire and remain in stable condition at a local hospital.
Jabbar was shot and killed during the exchange of gunfire.
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Without the blur pic.twitter.com/qplBIq3o5x
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 1, 2025
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Duncan confirmed FBI agents recovered “weapons and potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs)” from Jabbar’s vehicle and that other “potential IEDs” were located at other locations in the French Quarter.
“As of now, two IEDs have been found and rendered safe,” Duncan added. “The FBI special agent bomb technician as well as our local law enforcement partners have been working to determine if any of these devices are viable and will work to render those devices safe.”
“This is a fluid situation, and we are in coordination with numerous local and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure a complete and thorough investigation to bring those who may have been part of this incident to justice,” Louisiana governor Jeff Landry wrote on X. “We recognize that there are tourists around us, and we urge all to avoid the French Quarter as this is an active investigation. We understand the concerns of the community and want to reassure everyone that the safety of the French Quarter and the city of New Orleans remains our top priority.”
At Wednesday’s press conference, Landry praised the two wounded New Orleans police officers for “laying their lives on the line” and “neutralizing the threat” to citizens.
Outgoing U.S. president Joe Biden – whose term ends in less than three weeks – said he had been “continually briefed since early this morning regarding the horrific incident that occurred in New Orleans overnight.”
Biden confirmed the FBI would be the lead agency probing the attack.
“The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism,” Biden noted.
Biden’s statement refuted initial claims by FBI agents in New Orleans that the incident was not terror-related. Shortly before 10:00 a.m. EST, though, the agency confirmed it was working with its law enforcement partners “to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
At Wednesday’s press conference, one of Louisiana’s U.S. senators said he would insist on transparency during the course of the investigation.
“They’re going to tell you what happened, I can promise you that,” U.S. senator John Kennedy said at Wednesday’s press conference. “Or I’m going to raise fresh hell.”
Kennedy added that he had been briefed on information that he would make public at the appropriate time if the FBI failed to do so.
“They’re hunting some bad people down,” governor Landry added.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump responded to the tragedy by reiterating his calls to clamp down on the influx of criminal immigrants into the United States.

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“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”
The FBI implored anyone with information regarding the attack to contact its New Orleans bureau at 504-816-3000 – or by emailing tips@fbi.gov. At Wednesday’s press conference, the agency specifically asked citizens to provide its investigators with information on Jabbar’s movements in the days leading up to the attack – as well as photographs and videos of the attack.
As noted in our previous coverage, the attack raised security concerns for the upcoming 2025 Sugar Bowl – a college football game pitting the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs against the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The national quarterfinal matchup had been scheduled to kickoff at 8:45 p.m. EST at the Caesars Superdome – an 83,000-seat arena located just 2,000 feet from the site of the attack.
Following the attack, bowl officials announced the game would be postponed until Thursday (January 2, 2025).
“All parties agree it’s in the best interest to postpone the game for twenty-four hours,” Sugar Bowl chief executive officer Jeff Hundley said at Wednesday’s press conference.
The Superdome is also scheduled to host Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9, 2025.
This is developing story… please check back for updates.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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7 comments
Looks like “X” pulled the unblurred photo of the dead terrorist. Are we really such a nation of hypersensitive pussies that we cannot see these things and need censors everywhere to decide this for us?
Is the terrorist humping his 72 Virgins, yet? I hope he catches crab license from each and every one of them.
“…crab lice…”
Damn auto-correct!
Texas born and raised, US Army veteran honorably discharged, but tHe bOrDeRs!!! tIk tOk!!! tRaNs!!! Anybody can be radicalized, even those without funny sounding names.
Meantime the Cybertruck exploding in front of the Las Vegas Trump Hotel is a perfect metaphor for how the next administration will be working out.
Caesars Casino might be 2,000 feet from the incident, but the Superdome is a bit farther away.
The NOPD police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick knows all about hitting people with cars. She and that moron ASAC from the FBI replete with her nose piercing are the very reason people lose faith in LE. Their claim to fame is they are DEI poster children. Neither has any real accomplishments other than being female
Two rented electric vehicles, rented from the same company, used in largely failed attacks (the attack in Magdeburg, Germany injured more than 200) is just a coincidence or two too many.
If you want to know about “successful VAW attacks” Google “Car Attack Zuhai” or “Nice Truck Attack”.