The identity of the suspect in the attack in New Orleans is revealed, the investigation continues

2025-01-02 16:54:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The identity of the suspect in the attack in New Orleans is revealed, the

Preliminary data from the terrorist attack that killed 15 people on New Year's Day in New Orleans speak to a scenario that law enforcement and security officials have long feared: A plot at least inspired by the terrorist group The State. Islamic. The suspect is a US Army veteran, and the FBI confirmed he had an ISIS flag on the truck he used to plow into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the early hours of Wednesday morning before he was killed in a shootout. with the police.

42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar was a US citizen from Texas and a former Army reservist who had served in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday evening, President Joe Biden offered his condolences to the families of the victims and said the suspect had taken actions just hours before the attack that hinted at his ideology. President Biden said law enforcement and the intelligence community are continuing to look for any other connections or associates and that the investigation remains active.

"He posted videos on social media showing that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill. The ISIS flag was found on his vehicle, which he had rented to carry out this attack. Potential explosives were also found in the vehicle and other explosives were found nearby," he said.

Investigators found weapons and an improvised explosive device inside the vehicle. Also, in the well-known neighborhood where the explosion took place, the authorities have found other explosive devices in a house that had caught fire.

"We believe that (with the fire) they were trying to erase the tracks. We believe there are several people involved. One of them died at the scene, but other individuals are still at large," she said.

For 18-year-old Zion Parsons, it was his first time in New Orleans. He said the scene looked like a war zone.

"There were bodies all over the road. Everyone was screaming. You saw someone trying to save someone else, you saw people crying, body parts everywhere. It was painful to see one of my close friends get hit," he said.

The tourist area of ??New Orleans continues to be under strict security measures.

The attack in New Orleans is the latest example of a vehicle being used as a weapon of mass murder and the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on US soil in years.

Clara Broekart, an expert on terrorist groups told VOA that in 2024 there had been a significant increase in ISIS-inspired efforts globally, including in the United States.

"Sometimes the potential perpetrator was simply inspired by ISIS, consumed propaganda from the Islamic State and intended to carry out an attack in support of the Islamic State. But we have also seen attempts where US-based individuals were in contact with ISIS recruiters online," she says.

Meanwhile, authorities are investigating another explosion in a Tesla 'Cybertruck' car in Las Vegas in front of the Trump Hotel, which killed the person inside.

"Law enforcement and the investigative community are investigating the incident, including to determine if there is any possible connection to the attack in New Orleans," President Biden said.

The person inside the car had rented the vehicle from the same app used by the perpetrator of the attack in New Orleans./VOA