Officials Investigate 'Act of Terrorism' After 14 Killed

What Happened?

Officials are investigating a motive for a potential act of terrorism after a driver intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd, killing at least 14 people on New Year's Day.

The incident happened around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter district. The driver, a U.S. citizen from Texas, reportedly steered around a police blockade and raced a Ford pickup truck through a crowd, hitting revelers.

The suspect then exited the vehicle and fired upon local law enforcement.

Law enforcement returned fire, striking the suspect. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Two law enforcement officers were injured and transported to a local hospital.

President Joe Biden described the incident late Wednesday in a press conference as a 'despicable attack.'

Why it Matters

The suspect was later identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who rented the pickup truck in this attack, according to FBI authorities.

According to reports, Jabbar was in the U.S. military, which included an 11-month deployment to Afghanistan. He was discharged in 2015.

Investigators said Jabbar posted several online videos proclaiming his support of the militant Islamic State group ISIS hours before the attack.

Five videos Jabbar posted on his Facebook account in the hours before the attack showed him saying he joined before last summer, the FBI said.

An ISIS flag, weapons, and a potential improvised explosive device (IED) were also later located in the rented vehicle.

Authorities say other IEDs were also located in the French Quarter.

Surveillance footage reportedly showed three men and a woman placing one of multiple IEDs, according to reports.

Confusingly, FBI authorities now believe that the suspect did not appear to have any accomplices or that the people seen near the IED devices in surveillance footage were involved in any way.

The FBI has since recovered three phones and two laptops linked to Jabbar at an Airbnb home in Mandeville, Louisiana.

An ATF official said during a news conference Thursday that a fire later started at that residence that is still being investigated.

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick described the attack during a press conference as 'very intentional behavior.'

Kirkpatrick added, 'He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.'

The New Orleans attack is the latest example of a vehicle being used to carry out mass violence as a weapon.

Last month, a 50-year-old man reportedly drove his car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing at least five people.

Officials described the arrested suspect as a psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric.

How it Affects You

New Orleans officials reportedly began installing adjustable barriers at intersections like the French Quarter to prevent vehicle incidents like the one on New Year's Day.

It's not an indication the barriers would have prevented the mass killings, New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno told reporters.

But the security presence and strategies at large event gatherings going forward will certainly be impacted to evolve nationwide.