The FBI is investigating and confirms that the attacker was carrying an Islamic State flag
At least ten people have died and another 30 have been injured this Wednesday morning in an intentional attack investigated as a “terrorist act” on a busy street in the city of New Orleans, in the state of Louisiana, according to the American authorities. The attacker was carrying an Islamic State flag.
The suspect, who died later, rammed a truck at about 3:15 a.m. into the crowd gathered to celebrate the New Year on Bourbon and Canal streets, located in a tourist area full of bars and restaurants in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He then got out of the vehicle and began shooting with a firearm.
“There are 30 injured patients who have been transported by NOEMS (New Orleans Emergency Medical Services) and 10 fatalities” to five hospitals in different parts of the city, the administration responsible for the disasters in the city has indicated in a brief statement. Among the injured are two police officers.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States (FBI), responsible for the investigation, has confirmed that it has opened an investigation for a “terrorist” attack and that the person responsible would be Shamsud Din Jabbar, originally from Texas, who was carrying a flag of the jihadist group Islamic State at the time of the incident.
In addition, the FBI has reported that several possible explosive devices have been found in the French Quarter itself, although far from the scene of the attack. FBI bomb disposal experts are working to determine if any of these devices are dangerous.
As for Din Jabbar, they are investigating “to determine the possible relations and affiliation of the suspect with terrorist organizations,” according to CNN.
Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick explained that the man, who was driving a pickup truck at high speed, had “intentional behavior.” “He was trying to run over as many people as possible,” she said, according to CNN.
She also highlighted that the man shot two New Orleans Police officers who are in stable condition. Kirkpatrick reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating whether there is an explosive device inside the vehicle.
“The subject then contacted local authorities and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism,” the FBI said in a statement.
VIOLENCE “AGAINST ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES”
The White House has reported that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the “terrible” hit-and-run and subsequent shooting. “There is no justification for violence of any kind and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities,” Biden warned in a presidential statement.
Biden has ordered “to dedicate all available federal, state and local law enforcement resources to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and ensure that there is no ongoing threat of any kind.” He also thanked the response of the emergency services.
Federal officials such as the Secretary of Homeland Security, Ali Mayorkas; the Deputy Attorney General, Lisa Monaco, and the White House National Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall, are in contact with the Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, to offer support to local authorities, according to Washington.
The Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, has described the outrage on social media as a “horrible act of violence.” “I urge all people who are near the scene of the events to avoid the area,” he said, conveying his prayers to the families of the victims.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has taken the opportunity to emphasize that “the criminals who come (from abroad) are far worse than the criminals we have in our country,” he has remembered the “innocent victims” of the attack, including the “brave officers” of the New Orleans Police who were injured, and he has promised that “the Trump Administration will fully support the city of New Orleans in the investigation and recovery after this act of pure evil.”
