Who is Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the New Orleans truck attack suspect? 

At least 15 people have been killed and dozens wounded after a man, identified by the FBI as a United States military veteran, ploughed a pick-up truck into a crowd of New Year’s revellers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, the United States.

The suspect, who has since been killed in a police shootout, has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen from the state of Texas.

The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of “terrorism” and said it does not believe the driver acted alone in the attack on one of the country’s top tourist destinations.

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that the FBI had informed him that the suspect had posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by the ISIS (ISIL) armed group, expressing “a desire to kill”.

Here’s what we know about the incident, the suspect, and the latest on the ground.

What happened in New Orleans and when?

• At about 3:15am (09:15 GMT) on Wednesday, a rented Ford F-150 pick-up truck drove at high speed into a crowd of New Year’s revellers in New Orleans, according to local police.
• New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver swerved around barricades and was driving at “very high speed” and in a “very intentional” manner.
• After the car stopped, the driver jumped out of the vehicle and fired at responding officers, who shot back and killed him.
• Hours after the attack, three coroner’s vans stood at the site of the car ramming, surrounded by police tape as tourists gathered nearby.
• The FBI said they found an explosive device at the site, but are working to confirm if it is viable or not.
• New Orleans police said more than 300 additional officers were on duty during the time of the incident to manage New Year’s crowds.
• New Orleans Department of Public Work projects show that steel bollards and security barriers along Bourbon Street were being replaced when the truck barrelled through the area. However, while speaking to WWL-TV, City Council President Helena Moreno said that the attacker likely would have found a way to kill whether the barriers were there or not.
• Jabbar appears to have rented the F-150 Lightning electric truck from the car rental website Turo, according to broadcaster CNN.
• Authorities found that the same rental website was linked to an incident on Wednesday in Las Vegas, where a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a Trump hotel. It’s not clear if the two incidents are linked.

Who is the suspect?

The FBI identified the suspect as 42-year-old Jabbar, who served in the US military between 2007 and 2020. He also deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.

He graduated from Georgia State University in 2017 earning a degree in computer information systems.

An ISIL (ISIS) flag was found in the vehicle along with weapons and potential explosive devices, the FBI said in a statement.

“An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle and the FBI is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations,” it said.

New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno said the suspect was dressed in full military gear and police had described his acts as intentional.

“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” Kirkpatrick, the police superintendent, told reporters on Wednesday.

“He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” she added.

Where did the incident happen?

The incident took place in New Orleans, a city in the southwestern Louisiana state. It lies on the Mississippi River, near the Gulf of Mexico.

The vehicle travelled along Canal Street into Bourbon Street, the heart of the city’s famous French Quarter, a district renowned for its bars, restaurants and jazz history.

Bourbon Street is known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties.

The city also hosted crowds anticipating the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game later on Wednesday at the nearby Superdome. The game was postponed for 24 hours following the attack.

New Orleans, nicknamed “The Big Easy” for its vibrant, laid-back lifestyle, is also a top US tourist destination.

However, it has faced past incidents, including shootings and vehicle collisions with crowds, such as two shootings in November 2024 that left two dead and 10 injured during a parade.

How many people were killed?

At least 15 people have been killed, and 35 others injured, according to police reports.

Among the wounded are two police officers, who were hurt by the driver’s gunfire.

Zion Parsons, 18, of Gulfport, Mississippi, said he saw the truck “barrelling through, throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air”.

“Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and hollering,” Parsons, whose friend Nikyra Dedeaux was among those people killed, told the AP.

Among the dead is Princeton University football athlete Martin “Tiger” Bech.

“He was a ‘Tiger’ in every way – a ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend. Our last conversation was about how proud I was of the growth he showed during his time at Princeton and the success he was having after graduation. My love goes to the entire Bech family,” Head Coach of Football Bob Surace said, according to the Princeton Football website.

Was the New Orleans incident a ‘terror attack’?

The FBI said on Wednesday that it is working with its partners “to investigate this as an act of terrorism”.

“The FBI is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations,” Alethea Duncan, the assistant special agent in charge of the New Orleans FBI, told reporters.

“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” Duncan said. “We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.”

However, it has not specified what evidence is being used to make that legal determination and information about a possible motive has not been released.

What is the latest on the ground?

The FBI is leading investigations and Bourbon Street is cordoned off.

Local authorities have set up a rallying point at the University Medical Center for families checking on loved ones.

Despite the incident, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy stated that New Orleans law enforcement is prepared for Wednesday’s Sugar Bowl, with the Superdome now under lockdown to ensure safety.

US President Joe Biden assured Mayor LaToya Cantrell of full federal support following the attack, with the White House confirming the president will receive ongoing updates.

US President-elect Donald Trump also offered condolences, calling the attack an “act of pure evil”.