A video showed Jabbar's white pickup truck inching through Canal Street traffic
Security camera footage has emerged of suspected terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowing his pickup truck down a packed Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Day. The attack killed at least 15 people and injured 35 others. Police described Jabbar as a "terrorist," while the FBI said "an ISIS flag was located in the vehicle," using another name for the Islamic State armed group.
A video circulating on social media showed Jabbar's white pickup truck, with an ISIS flag, inching through Canal Street traffic before taking a sharp turn down Bourbon Street.
In another video, the white Ford pickup truck can be seen speeding through the crowded French Quarter on New Year's Day as partygoers scrambled around to save their lives.
At least fifteen people were killed and dozens of others were injured after US Army veteran Jabbar swerved around makeshift barriers and barreled into revellers in New Orleans' crowded French Quarter on New Year's Day. Police officials said 42-year-old Jabbar may have had the help of others to carry out the attack, as three improvised pipe bombs were found nearby in the tourist-drawing French Quarter, including one in Jabbar's truck.
The attack took place around 3:15 am near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic tourist destination known for its music and bars where crowds were celebrating the New Year. The suspect drove a white Ford F-150 electric pickup into a group of pedestrians, then exited and was killed in a shootout with police -- two of whom were wounded.
US President Joe Biden, describing the attack as "despicable," said that hours before Jabbar had posted videos online "indicating that he was inspired by ISIS."
Mr Biden said that law enforcement officials were also probing any possible links between the attack and the explosion later Wednesday of a Tesla Cybertruck outside a hotel partly owned by US President-elect Donald Trump in Las Vegas that killed one person.
"Thus far, there's nothing to report on that score," he said, as police in Las Vegas said they believed it was an "isolated" incident.
According to the Pentagon, Jabbar had served in the Army as a human resources specialist and an IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, and then in the army reserve until 2020. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 until January 2010, an army spokesperson said, adding that he held the rank of Staff Sergeant at the end of his service.
