The FBI believes that the driver who drove a vehicle into a crowd of New Orleans partygoers on New Year’s Day, resulting in the deaths of 10 individuals and the injury of 35 others, may have received assistance.
The revelation comes after it was revealed the 42-year-old perpetrator, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had an ISIS flag in his ute.
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen hailing from Texas, reportedly drove the truck down Bourbon Street at high speed and also shot at police officers, as stated by Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
Another witness, 22-year-old Whit Davis from Shreveport, Louisiana, told CNN the incident occurred while she was at a nightclub on Bourbon Street.
“When everyone heard the commotion, there was chaos with people screaming, running to safety, and seeking cover. Eventually, the situation calmed down, but initially, everyone was confined until the area was deemed safe,” Davis recounted.
“When they finally let us out of the club, police waved us where to walk and were telling us to get out of the area fast. I saw a few dead bodies they couldn’t even cover up and tons of people receiving first aid.”
Police told people on the scene to put their phones away and leave as soon as possible, Davis said.
‘Horrific act of violence’
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called the incident a “horrific act of violence”.
“Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene,” he wrote on X.
“I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called the attack “an act of pure evil” and demanded swift justice in a social media post on Wednesday morning.
“The vicious attack on innocent people celebrating the New Year in New Orleans early this morning was an act of pure evil, and justice must be swift for anyone who was involved,” the speaker said on X.
“Please join us in praying for the victims, their families, and the first responders and investigators on the scene.”
GOP Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy called the attack in New Orleans “so tragic” in a post on X.
“Give thanks for the police officers responding,” he wrote. “Remember the wounded and dead and their families.”
New Orleans – and specifically the French Quarter, the city’s vibrant historic centre where Bourbon Street is located – was still in the throes of New Year’s celebrations when the vehicle ran into a crowd early on Wednesday.
Crowds had gathered to attend an open-air concert and New Year’s countdown, with restaurants offering special deals and performances, according to the city’s official website.
LGBTQ parties featuring dancing and drag cabaret were taking place elsewhere on Bourbon Street, the heart of the city’s gay community – just blocks from where the incident took place.
Many celebrations had been aimed at college football fans descending on the city for the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday — including a parade that had taken place on Tuesday.
Hours after the attack, several coroner’s office vans were parked on the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets, cordoned off by police tape with crowds of dazed tourists standing around, some trying to navigate their luggage through the labyrinth of blockades.
– Reported with CNN and Associated Press
