The terror suspect in the New Orleans rampage that killed 14 people and injured dozens reportedly used materials to make explosives that have never been used in a U.S. attack.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, used an extremely rare explosive compound that had never been seen before in any incidents in the U.S. or Europe, NBC News reported.
Jabbar planned to detonate two explosives that he had placed on Bourbon Street, FBI and ATF officials said in a joint statement Friday. He intended to use a transmitter, which was found in his vehicle, to ignite the bombs but ultimately did not.
It’s not immediately clear how or where he learned to make such an explosive. It’s yet another question for the FBI, which is also reportedly looking into Jabbar’s travel, including a trip to Egypt.
The federal agency was also trying to determine whether he became radicalized during his trip, ABC News reported.
Authorities recovered an ISIS flag from inside his vehicle.
“This next most important phase of the investigation is to find out how that radicalization happened and if it happened on that trip,” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told the network.
Key Points
- Suspect used rare explosive compound never seen in U.S. terror attack: report
- New Orleans attacker planned to use detonator found in truck
- Biden will visit New Orleans next week, White House says
- Army buddy shocked old friend carried out New Orleans attack
- Potential threats and dismay over Middle East: Family gives details on Jabbar
The New Orleans attacker was inspired by ISIS. How much of a threat does the group pose to the US?
Friday 3 January 2025 19:10 , Mike BediganDespite the New Orleans attack, experts don’t see an elevated threat from ISIS — instead, it’s a steady threat that never left, Richard Hall writes:
The New Orleans attacker was inspired by ISIS. Is the group a threat in the US?
ICYMI: Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger’s wife broke up with him days before explosion, report says
Friday 3 January 2025 19:30 , Mike BediganThe wife of the Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger left him just days before he detonated the vehicle outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, according to a report.
The active-duty Green Beret had argued with his wife after she told him she suspected he had been cheating, the New York Post reports, citing law enforcement sources.
Rhian Lubin has the story:
Cybertruck bomber’s wife reportedly left him days before explosion
63-year-old New Orleans native identified as victim
Friday 3 January 2025 19:50 , Rhian LubinA 63-year-old New Orleans native has been identified as one of the victims of the New Year’s Day atrocity.
Terrence Kennedy, affectionately known as “Terry” by his loved ones, had gone to Bourbon Street to enjoy a drink to ring in the new year, his niece told the Times-Picayune.
Kennedy, one of nine children, was “just enjoying his city and not bothering nobody,” Monisha James said, adding that her uncle was “the nicest person in the world.”
He grew up in Uptown New Orleans and was a graduate of Walter Cohen High School. His family said he was a fan of NFL football and his favorite team was the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lacrosse Network sends condolences to the family of Billy DiMaio
Friday 3 January 2025 20:10 , Mike BediganRecap: Who are the victims of the New Orleans terror attack?
Friday 3 January 2025 20:30 , Mike BediganA former Princeton football star. An aspiring nurse. A college freshman. A cherished son. A devoted mom.
These are among the victims of the deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that left at least 14 people dead and dozens injured when a 42-year-old Army veteran plowed a truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in what the FBI is investigating as an “act of terrorism.”
With more victims being identified each day since the tragedy, here is a recap of those who have been remembered by loved ones so far:
Ex-Princeton football star and aspiring nurse: Victims of New Orleans terror attack
Watch: Heartbreaking comparison of New Orleans before and after terror attack
Friday 3 January 2025 21:10 , Mike BediganNew Orleans attack suspect had ‘dreams’ that inspired him to join ISIS. What we know
Friday 3 January 2025 21:30 , Mike BediganThe suspect in the deadly New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day revealed “dreams” that inspired him to join ISIS and made chilling threats to kill his family in videos recorded ahead of the massacre, according to a report.
Authorities are reportedly reviewing disturbing videos of the suspect, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, where he discussed plans to kill his family and mentioned his divorce, according to CNN, citing two officials briefed on the footage.
The FBI is investigating the incident “as an act of terrorism.”
New Year’s celebrations in the city ended in tragedy when the suspected terrorist — a U.S. citizen and Army veteran — slammed into a crowd of revelers, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more.
Kelly Rissman and Rhian Lubin have the story.
New Orleans attack suspect had ‘dreams’ that inspired him to join ISIS. What we know
Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s brother says sibling was radicalized
Friday 3 January 2025 21:50 , Mike BediganThe brother of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man behind the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, blamed radicalization for his sibling’s actions.
Abdur Rahim-Jabbar, 24, who along with his brother was raised Muslim, told Fox News that he did not previously spot any signs of radicalization or someone who was hatching a deadly plot. He added that the attack was “no direct reflection on his brother and the Muslim community”.
Rahim-Jabbar also told CNN that his brother never spoke of ISIS.
Jabbar’s father, Rahim, 65, said he regretted not having the opportunity to speak to his son.
“How do you know what to do if they don’t tell you,” he told the outlet. “We would have certainly tried, because we knew it wouldn’t have been a good ending.”
ICYMI: Biden will visit New Orleans next week, White House says
Friday 3 January 2025 22:10 , Mike BediganPresident Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are expected to visit New Orleans on Monday – marking five days since Shamsud Din Jabbar’s New Year’s Day attack, killing 14 people and injuring 35 others after ramming a truck into a crowd of revellers on Bourbon Street.
“The President and First Lady will grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack on January 1st and meet with officials on the ground,” a White House official told CNN on Friday.
It comes after Biden told reporters on Thursday that he was “gonna try” and visit New Orleans in the wake of the terror attack.
Elon Musk questioned over his ‘help’ with Cybertruck explosion case
Friday 3 January 2025 22:30 , Mike BediganElon Musk was personally praised by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill on Thursday for his help in the aftermath of the deadly explosion outside of a Nevada luxury hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump on New Year’s Day.
However, the law enforcement officer’s disclosures about the extent of Musk’s support only provoked further questions from the public on Reddit, with users posing questions in response to his comments via a CuratedTumblr thread entitled “Asking some reasonable questions about Elon Musk’s ‘help’ with the Cybertruck bombing case.”
Joe Sommerlad has more:
Elon Musk questioned over his ‘help’ with Cybertruck explosion case
FBI says it has received almost 1,000 tips in 48 hours since New Orleans attack
Friday 3 January 2025 23:00 , Mike BediganThe FBI says it has received almost 1,000 tips in 48 hours, as it continues to investigate the tragic incident in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, which left 14 people dead and dozens wounded.
“Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel from across the country continue to work diligently to further this investigation and evaluate evidence, interview victims and witnesses, and analyze tips related to the New Orleans Bourbon Street attack,” the bureau said in a statement on Friday.
“Two days into the investigation, the FBI has received almost 1,000 tips, and leads have been sent to FBI Field Offices across the country for investigation.”
Number of injured expected to rise in coming days says FBI
Saturday 4 January 2025 01:00 , Mike BediganThe FBI said it expects the number of people reported injured in the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans to continue to rise in the coming days, as investigations continue into the tragic event.
“As of January 3, the FBI has identified 35 known injured individuals,” the bureau said in a statement on Friday. “The number of injured is expected to rise in the coming days as additional people either take themselves to hospitals with injuries or ask for assistance from the FBI.”
Watch: New Orleans attack witness describes terrifying moment truck headed towards him
Saturday 4 January 2025 02:00 , Mike BediganAuthorities are investigating suspect’s foreign travel: report
Saturday 4 January 2025 02:31 , Kelly RissmanThe FBI is investigating the travel history of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, including his month-long solo trip to Egypt in 2023, ABC News reported.
As part of its investigation, the federal agency is trying to determine what he did in the country, who he interacted with and whether he became radicalized during his trip or prior to it, the outlet reported.
Authorities recovered an ISIS flag from inside his vehicle.
“This next most important phase of the investigation is to find out how that radicalization happened and if it happened on that trip,” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told the network.
Did New Orleans fail to secure area of truck attack?
Saturday 4 January 2025 03:00 , Mike BediganNew Orleans officials are promising the city is safe as they prepare for today’s Sugar Bowl and the Super Bowl next month. But planning for those events might have allowed a suspected terrorist to rampage through the city’s most popular area.
A series of barricades designed to prevent cars from driving down parts of Bourbon Street had been removed and were not in place when an attacker sped into the French Quarter and killed at least 14 people in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
Those “bollards” — installed as part of a years-long security plan for the tourist-heavy neighborhood — were intended to block that exact type of attack from happening.
But they were in the middle of being replaced in time for the city to host February’s Super Bowl LIX, which falls in the middle of a busy Carnival season calendar leading up to Mardi Gras day on March 4.
Alex Woodward reports.
New Orleans readies for Sugar and Super bowls. Its prep work might have cost lives
British national among the 14 killed, authorities say
Saturday 4 January 2025 03:30 , PAA British man has been confirmed as one of those killed in a deadly New Year’s Day vehicle attack in New Orleans.
Metropolitan Police confirmed they were supporting the family of Edward Pettifer, 31, of Chelsea, who was killed in the attack in Bourbon Street.
Authorities have confirmed at least 14 people died and least 39 others were injured when a man in a pick-up truck plowed through crowds before he was gunned down by police.
Pettifer’s family said in a statement: “The entire family are devastated at the tragic news of Ed‘s death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.
Read the full story.
FBI concerned about copycat incidents after New Orleans terror attack, report
Saturday 4 January 2025 04:00 , Mike BediganU.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies are reportedly concerned about copycat vehicle-ramming attacks following the attack in New Orleans.
The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center “are concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks,” according to a bulletin seen by Reuters.
Such attacks “are likely to remain attractive for aspiring assailants given vehicles’ ease of acquisition and the low skill threshold necessary to conduct an attack”, the bulletin said.
The bulletin was issued a day after the FBI said the attacker Shamsud-Din JabbarJabbar was “100 percent inspired” by ISIS. 14 innocent people were killed in the attack and dozens more were injured.
‘My anxiety is at an all-time high’: Workers return to Bourbon Street
Saturday 4 January 2025 05:01 , Mike BediganLess than 36 hours after a massacre at the gateway to the French Quarter, New Orleans officials reopened Bourbon Street, now heavily guarded with military police, fresh barricades and 14 roses to mark the 14 people who were killed in what law enforcement officials have labeled an act of terror.
Authorities removed the remaining bodies and swept blood from the sidewalks and streets beginning at 2 a.m. Thursday. Deliveries to the street’s bars and restaurants resumed a few hours later.
Several blocks of Bourbon and surrounding streets had been blocked off, businesses were closed and residents living in the footprint of an active crime scene were navigating police tape and barricades after a driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Thousands of workers — still checking on the safety of friends and colleagues — are now returning to the bars, restaurants, music venues, hotels, gift shops and other businesses that keep the city’s tourism economy running.
Bourbon reopens hours after blood cleaned from the streets. Workers are conflicted
How much of a threat does ISIS pose to U.S.?
Saturday 4 January 2025 07:00 , Mike BediganThe New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed at least 14 people and injured 30 more has reignited fears about the terror threat posed by ISIS in the U.S. following years of relative quiet.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran, has been named by authorities as the suspect. He carried an ISIS flag on the vehicle used to mow down pedestrians.
Addressing the nation following the attack, President Joe Biden said Jabbar posted videos to social media “indicating he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill.”
But how much of a threat does the extremist Islamist militant group pose to Americans today?
Richard Hall reports.
The New Orleans attacker was inspired by ISIS. Is the group a threat in the US?
Cybertruck bomber left chilling notes saying U.S. is ‘headed toward collapse’ and explosion was a ‘wake up call’
Saturday 4 January 2025 09:00 , Mike BediganMatthew Livelsberger, the Green Beret who died in the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion, left behind a note describing the incident as a “stunt” to serve as a “wake up call” for the country.
The shocking incident occurred just hours after the deadly terror attack in New Orleans in the early hours of New year’s Day. However, on Friday, investigators ruled out a connection between the two incidents.
Kelly Rissman has more:
Cybertruck bomber left chilling notes saying U.S. is ‘headed toward collapse’
FBI says it has received almost 1,000 tips in 48 hours since New Orleans attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 11:00 , Mike BediganThe FBI says it has received almost 1,000 tips in 48 hours, as it continues to investigate the tragic incident in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, which left 14 people dead and dozens wounded.
“Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel from across the country continue to work diligently to further this investigation and evaluate evidence, interview victims and witnesses, and analyze tips related to the New Orleans Bourbon Street attack,” the bureau said in a statement on Friday.
“Two days into the investigation, the FBI has received almost 1,000 tips, and leads have been sent to FBI Field Offices across the country for investigation.”
Recap: Who were the victims of the New Orleans terror attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 13:00 , Mike BediganThe identities of the 14 innocent victims of the New Orleans terror attack on New Year’s Day are still emerging, as investigators continue to probe the background of attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
Among the dead were a former Princeton football star, an aspiring nurse, a college freshman, and a devoted mom.
Here is a recap of those who have been identified so far:
Ex-Princeton football star and aspiring nurse: Victims of New Orleans terror attack
King ‘deeply saddened’ after stepson of William and Harry’s nanny killed in New Orleans attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 14:14 , Josh MarcusKing Charles is deeply saddened after a British man died in a vehicle attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, according to Buckingham Palace sources.
The king has been in touch with the family of Edward Pettifer, 31, who was killed by “blunt force injuries” when a pickup truck rammed into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revellers in Bourbon Street, Louisiana, killing at least 14 and injuring at least 35.
Mr Pettifer, who was named by Metropolitan Police on Saturday morning, is believed to be the stepson of Prince William and Prince Harry’s former nanny, Alexandra Pettifer, who was known as Tiggy.
The 31-year-old’s family described him as a “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend to so many”.
Alex Croft reports.
King ‘deeply saddened’ after stepson of children’s nanny killed in New Orleans attack
‘This was the event that I was afraid of'
Saturday 4 January 2025 14:37 , Josh MarcusAfter the deadly New Olreans attack, local officials are trying to pinpoint whether any security gaps contributed to the tragedy on Bourbon Street.
Attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar evaded multiple defenses around the busy pedestrian area.
He managed to drive around a police SUV, over a mechanical traffic-stopping wedge that was not deployed, and past the location where a bollard system previously stood but was removed for repairs.
The bollards went up as part of a $40 million security upgrade in the city after a deadly 2016 terror attack in Nice, France.
“Our plan was for this specific event, this was the event that I was afraid of,” former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told NOLA.com. “I thought, ‘S***, that’s going to happen on Bourbon Street.’”
Alex Woodward has more on the city’s preparations.
Jabbar had bomb-making materials in burned Airbnb
Saturday 4 January 2025 14:55 , Josh MarcusNew Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar had bomb-making materials and a potential homemade rifle silencer in an Airbnb property in New Orleans, according to federal officials.
Jabbar set the short-term rental on fire to conceal his activities, according to the ATF, using “trategically placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it and other evidence of his crime.”
However, the fire went out, and the ATF found “pre-cursors for bomb-making material and a privately made device suspected of being a silencer for a rifle,” the agency said in a statement.
The FBI found similar materials at Jabbar’s home in Houston, Texas.
Terror expert warns New Orleans shows we’re living in ‘perfect storm’ of radicalism
Saturday 4 January 2025 15:15 , Josh MarcusSecurity officials have their work cut out for them stopping terrorist violence in today’s political and social climate, according to Seamus Hughes, a senior researcher and policy associate with the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
“What the FBI and law enforcement in general are dealing with right now is a threat landscape that is both diverse and complicated,” he told NBC News. “That makes things a little harder for law enforcement.”
“We have a level of polarization in the U.S. that’s an important factor,” he added. “The online environment has algorithms that are set up to make you angry. And all that is playing into a perfect storm of factors that are leading to an increase in radicalization.”
The New Orleans attacker was inspired by ISIS. Is the group a threat in the US?
Homeless man killed in New Orleans attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 15:30 , Josh MarcusAnother victim of the New Orleans attack has been identified.
Elliot Wilkinson, 40, of Slidell, Louisiana, was among those killed in the truck massacre.
“He recently got out of prison and had problems with mental illness. He could’ve stayed with me, our sister or mother, but he never wanted to be a burden to the family, so he went back to New Orleans,” his brother told CNN.
“To my little brother Elliot Wilkinson, you was loved and you will truly be missed,” Wilkinson’s brother wrote in a Facebook post obtained by WDSU. “I know life was hard for you at times. But I wasn’t expecting to get the phone call this morning you was one of them that got hit in New Orleans in the French Quarter.”
New Orleans attacker’s recordings revealed
Saturday 4 January 2025 15:45 , Josh MarcusNew Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar left behind a string of inflammatory recordings about his views before he drove a truck through a crowd on New Year’s Day.
“I wanted to record this message for my family,” Jabbar said in one recording, obtained by The New York Times. “I wanted you to know that I joined ISIS earlier this year.”
“I don’t want you to think I spared you willingly,” he added, saying he had previously planned a “celebration” for his family where everyone would “witness the killing of the apostates.”
In another recording, Jabbar, whose family said he grew increasingly religious and conspiratorial, described hip-hop music as a sign of the end times.
“And the voice of Satan spreading among Prophet Muhammad’s followers — peace be upon him — is a sign of the end times,” Jabbar said.
FBI finds potential material for explosives at Houston home
Saturday 4 January 2025 16:13 , Josh MarcusFederal officials searching the Texas home of New Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar found a workbench and hazardous materials thought to have been used in making explosive devices, a source told The Associated Press.
The report comes after federal officials disclosed they found bomb-making materials at a New Orleans Airbnb where Jabbar stayed before the New Year’s Day truck attack.
New Orleans attacker used ‘very rare’ compound in explosives
Saturday 4 January 2025 16:41 , Josh MarcusNew Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar used a “very rare” chemical compound in explosive devices he placed near the site of his truck massacre, according to officials.
The chemical has never been used in a U.S. attack before, a law enforcement source told NBC News.
Officials are investigating where Jabbar gained the knowledge to use such a compound.
Brother of New Orleans attack speaks out
Saturday 4 January 2025 17:00 , Josh MarcusThe family of New Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar says they don’t understand why the Texas man was driven to violence.
“I understand people want answers, but we’re just as puzzled as the rest of the world,” his half brother, Abdur Rahem Jabbar, told Click2Houston.
“Sham believed his Islamic faith taught him that partying in places like New Orleans wasn’t righteous,” he added. “But he never gave any red flags leading up to this.”
The next question for New Orleans investigation: When Jabbar was radicalized
Saturday 4 January 2025 17:20 , Josh MarcusNow that investigators understand many of the basic facts of the New Orleans truck attack, they are trying to understand when attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar became radicalized and began to seek violence.
Of particular interest is a 2023 trip where Jabbar, who later claimed allegiance to the terror group ISIS, traveled to Egypt for about a month.
“This next most important phase of the investigation is to find out how that radicalization happened and if it happened on that trip,” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told ABC News.
Potential threats and dismay over Middle East: Family gives details on Jabbar
Saturday 4 January 2025 17:40 , Josh MarcusFamily members and associates are shedding new light on New Orleans truck attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
An ex-wife, as part of Jabbar’s third divorce, asked a court to order the Texas man not to make threatening calls or harm her or their son.
A previous ex-wife, meanwhile, moved to limited Jabbar’s contact with their children due to unpredictable behavior.
Jabbar’s half brother, Abdur Jabbar, told The New York Times his brother had also grown dismayed in recent months by the Israel-Hamas war.
“He didn’t like it — he said it was genocide on both sides, inhumane,” he said. “It was senseless.”
Troubling data suggests link between military service and likelihood of extremism
Saturday 4 January 2025 18:00 , Josh MarcusThe men who carried out both the New Orleans truck attack and the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas both had military backgrounds.
Data suggests a troubling correlation between military service and extremism.
Between since 2011, the number of people with U.S. military backgrounds who committed extremist crimes multiplied nearly seven times, compared with the annual rate between 1990 and 2010, The Intercept reports.
A separate study cited by outlet notes that military service is the single strongest predictor of people who seek to be “mass casualty offenders,” well higher than more commonly discussed factors like mental health.
Congresswoman seeks info from Fort Bragg whistleblowers on New Orleans attacker
Saturday 4 January 2025 18:20 , Josh MarcusCongresswoman and Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna is seeking information from potential whistleblowers who served in the military with the men behind the New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents.
Both men served at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, though officials have said there’s no immediate evidence the two crossed paths there.
If you are at Fort Bragg (Liberty) and have any information regarding these three men but are afraid to come forward to your chain of command, I can provide whistleblower protection and intake information.
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) January 3, 2025
☎️ (202) 225-5961 pic.twitter.com/jAp3PjVBV8
PHOTOS: New Orleans mourns victims of truck attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 18:40 , Josh Marcus
Army buddy shocked old friend carried out New Orleans attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 19:00 , Josh MarcusTrevor Neill, a Houston-area Army veteran who knew Shamsud-Din Jabbar in the military, was utterly shocked to learn his old friend had carried out the New Orleans truck attack.
The two men met at Fort Gordon in Georgia but had lost touch in recent years.
“He was a normal individual, no red flags, great soldier, phenomenal friend,” Neill told KHOU 11.
“I was absolutely floored, I buckled and I couldn’t talk for like 20 or 30 seconds, was just like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” he added. “And it’s very unfortunate that he took that path.”
Vet argues recent incidents highlight need for mental health services in military
Saturday 4 January 2025 19:20 , Josh MarcusThe recent incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas, both carried out by U.S. military veterans, highlight the need to give serious attention to the mental health status of servicemembers, according to one veteran.
“A major question that should be asked not just about Jabbar but every veteran who is at risk of radicalization, suicide, homelessness or social isolation is if we should now make it a requirement for veterans to be seen and screened,” Jos Joseph, a Marine veteran, wrote today in The Hill.
New Orleans attacker planned to use detonator found in truck
Saturday 4 January 2025 19:40 , Josh MarcusNew Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who rammed a truck through a crowd celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street, had another part to his plan which was never completed.
The Texas man intended to use a transmitter, later found in the wreckage of his vehicle, to trigger two improvised explosive devices nearby, investigators announced.
The devices never went off, though authorities are uncertain whether this was due to a decision from Jabbar, a malfunction, or some other reason.
Survivor of New Orleans attack describes chaos
Saturday 4 January 2025 19:59 , Josh MarcusSurvivors of Wednesday’s truck attack in New Orleans are still processing what they saw.
“It was hard to tell what was fireworks and what might have been gunshots,” Noah Preston, a 25-year-old student from North Carolina, told The Wall Street Journal of his experience witnessing the attack. “We had no idea what was going on.”
Former Princeton football star and aspiring nurse among named victims of the New Orleans terror attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 20:30 , Josh MarcusA former Princeton football star. An aspiring nurse. A college freshman. A cherished son. A devoted mom.
These are among the victims of the deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that left at least 14 people dead and dozens injured when a 42-year-old Army veteran plowed a truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in what the FBI is investigating as an “act of terrorism.”
The FBI identified the suspect — who was killed after engaging in a shootout with police officers — as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S.-born citizen from Texas.
The bureau confirmed investigators discovered an ISIS flag, weapons and a potential improvised explosive device inside the pickup truck the suspect rammed through the crowd.
Ex-Princeton football star and aspiring nurse: Victims of New Orleans terror attack
British man among 14 killed in New Orleans attack
Saturday 4 January 2025 21:12 , Josh MarcusNew Orleans attack suspect had ‘dreams’ that inspired him to join ISIS. What we know
Saturday 4 January 2025 21:00 , Josh MarcusThe suspect in the deadly New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day “proclaimed his support for ISIS” and made chilling threats to kill his family in videos recorded ahead of the massacre, the FBI confirmed.
Christopher Raia, the FBI’s deputy assistant director of its counter terrorism division, said at a press conference Thursday that they are reviewing disturbing videos of the suspect, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, where he discussed plans to kill his family in recordings made before the attack.
New Year’s celebrations in the city ended in tragedy when the suspected terrorist slammed into a crowd of revelers, killing at least 14 innocent people and injuring more than 30 others. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene after a standoff with authorities.
Raia shared a timeline of the suspect’s movements before carrying out the attack, detailing how he planted two IED devices in coolers in the bustling area before he rammed into the crowd in a pickup truck on Bourbon Street at around 3:15 a.m.
Kelly Rissman and Rhian Lubin report.
New Orleans attack suspect had ‘dreams’ that inspired him to join ISIS: What we know
Workers anxiously return to Bourbon Street
Saturday 4 January 2025 21:20 , Josh MarcusLess than 36 hours after a massacre at the gateway to the French Quarter, New Orleans officials reopened Bourbon Street, now heavily guarded with military police, fresh barricades and 14 roses to mark the 14 people who were killed in what law enforcement officials have labeled an act of terror.
Authorities removed the remaining bodies and swept blood from the sidewalks and streets beginning at 2 a.m. Thursday. Deliveries to the street’s bars and restaurants resumed a few hours later.
Several blocks of Bourbon and surrounding streets had been blocked off, businesses were closed and residents living in the footprint of an active crime scene were navigating police tape and barricades after a driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Thousands of workers — still checking on the safety of friends and colleagues — are now returning to the bars, restaurants, music venues, hotels, gift shops and other businesses that keep the city’s tourism economy running.
One French Quarter worker told The Independent she was dreading returning to work.
“My anxiety is at an all-time high,” she said. “Thankfully I have health insurance through my spouse, but a lot of hospitality workers are uninsured and underpaid. Having to risk your life for a job that most likely doesn’t care about you is awful. Praying for us all.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Bourbon reopens hours after blood cleaned from the streets. Workers are conflicted
Woman shot in New Orleans terror attack describes how her mom helped save her over the phone
Saturday 4 January 2025 22:30 , Josh MarcusAn Alabama woman wounded in Wednesday’s New Orleans truck attack said her mother’s quick thinking during an emergency phone call helped save her life.
Alexis Scott-Windham, 23, of Mobile, Alabama, was in the French Quarter the evening before the attack to celebrate New Year’s Eve with friends.
She was one of scores of people that attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, hit with a rented truck in the early hours of New Year’s Day, a massacre which ultimately killed 14 people.
Scott-Windham, after the truck clipped her, was then hit in the foot during gunfire between Jabbar and police that followed the vehicle attack
More details in our full story.
Woman shot in New Orleans attack describes how phone call to mom helped save her
Everything we know about Shamsud-Din Jabbar
Saturday 4 January 2025 23:30 , Josh MarcusA New Year’s celebration in New Orleans was interrupted when a terrorist slammed into a crowd of revelers, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more.
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street when a suspect rammed into a crowd. More than 30 others were injured in the attack and have been transported to hospitals. Police warn the death toll could change as more information is received.
The FBI is investigating the incident “as an act of terrorism” and say it was carried out by 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar. Authorities say he had an ISIS flag on his truck as he plowed into the crowd, according to reports. Details about his life and background are starting to be revealed as investigators search for information about what led to the attack.
Kelly Rissman has the story.
New Orleans attack suspect had ‘dreams’ that inspired him to join ISIS: What we know
‘My anxiety is at an all-time high’
00:30 , Josh MarcusNew Orleans officials have reopened Bourbon Street, now heavily guarded with military police, fresh barricades and 14 roses to mark the 14 people who were killed in what law enforcement officials have labeled an act of terror.
Authorities removed the remaining bodies and swept blood from the sidewalks and streets beginning at 2 a.m. Thursday. Deliveries to the street’s bars and restaurants resumed a few hours later.
Several blocks of Bourbon and surrounding streets had been blocked off, businesses were closed and residents living in the footprint of an active crime scene were navigating police tape and barricades after a driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Thousands of workers — still checking on the safety of friends and colleagues — are now returning to the bars, restaurants, music venues, hotels, gift shops and other businesses that keep the city’s tourism economy running.
One French Quarter worker told The Independent she was dreading returning to work.
“My anxiety is at an all-time high,” she said.
Bourbon reopens hours after blood cleaned from the streets. Workers are conflicted
Suspect used rare explosive compound never seen in U.S. terror attack: report
01:15 , Kelly RissmanShamsud-Din Jabbar created homemade explosives with a rare compound, according to NBC News.
This compound had never been seen before in a U.S. or European incident, the outlet reported.
Jabbar planned to detonate two explosives that he had placed on Bourbon Street, FBI and ATF officials said in a joint statement Friday.
He had intended to use a transmitter, which was found in his vehicle, to detonate the bombs but ultimately did not, officials said.
Did New Orleans fail to secure Bourbon Street?
03:00 , Josh MarcusNew Orleans officials are promising the city is safe as they prepare for the Super Bowl next month. But planning for that event might have allowed a suspected terrorist to rampage through the city’s most popular area.
A series of barricades designed to prevent cars from driving down parts of Bourbon Street had been removed and were not in place when an attacker sped into the French Quarter and killed at least 14 people in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
Those “bollards” — installed as part of a years-long security plan for the tourist-heavy neighborhood — were intended to block that exact type of attack from happening.
But they were in the middle of being replaced in time for the city to host February’s Super Bowl LIX, which falls in the middle of a busy Carnival season calendar leading up to Mardi Gras day on March 4.
New Orleans readies for Sugar and Super bowls. Its prep work might have cost lives
ICYMI: King ‘deeply saddened’ after stepson of William and Harry’s nanny killed in New Orleans attack
04:30 , Josh MarcusKing Charles is deeply saddened after a British man died in a vehicle attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, according to Buckingham Palace sources.
The king has been in touch with the family of Edward Pettifer, 31, who was killed by “blunt force injuries” when a pickup truck rammed into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revellers in Bourbon Street, Louisiana, killing at least 14 and injuring at least 35.
Mr Pettifer, who was named by Metropolitan Police on Saturday morning, is believed to be the stepson of Prince William and Prince Harry’s former nanny, Alexandra Pettifer, who was known as Tiggy.
The 31-year-old’s family described him as a “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend to so many”.
Alex Croft reports.
Prince William ‘saddened’ after former nanny’s stepson killed in New Orleans attack
FBI seize vehicle in New Orleans attack
06:00 , Kelly RissmanThe FBI Houston office announced Saturday that it had seized the vehicle that Shamsud-Din Jabbar used to plow into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring dozens more.
“On Jan. 1, after obtaining a court authorized warrant, FBI Houston’s SWAT and Bomb Techs, w/support from @HCSOTexas, safely cleared the suspect’s north Harris County house of any potential threats to safety of nearby residents. FBI Houston’s ERT then began its search of the home,” the FBI wrote in a statement on X.
The agency “completed its thorough, hours-long search of the suspect’s house on Jan. 2, secured it, and released the property to the owner that morning. On Jan. 3, FBI Houston returned to the area only to seize a vehicle near the residence in furtherance of the ongoing investigation.”
Jabbar was a U.S. citizen from Texas, authorities have said.
Texas Lt. Gov. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox 26 that the suspect rented the pickup truck on Monday and had been driving the rented vehicle in Houston before heading to New Orleans.
How much of a threat does ISIS pose to the US?
07:30 , Josh MarcusThe New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed at least 14 people and injured 30 more has reignited fears about the terror threat posed by ISIS in the U.S. following years of relative quiet.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran, has been named by authorities as the suspect. He carried an ISIS flag on the vehicle used to mow down pedestrians.
Addressing the nation following the attack, President Joe Biden said Jabbar posted videos to social media “indicating he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill.”
But how much of a threat does the extremist Islamist militant group pose to Americans today?
The New Orleans attacker was inspired by ISIS. Is the group a threat in the US?
‘The screams, you can’t unhear that’
09:00 , Kelly RissmanThe city of New Orleans is in shock. Bartenders, musicians and hospitality workers who keep the city running are grieving and nervous. French Quarter residents packed into the historic neighborhood are navigating life in an active crime scene.
A suspected terrorist attack has shaken a city that was primed to celebrate the new year with the weeks-long Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras — with the Super Bowl crammed right in the middle of it — that’s scheduled to kick off within days. But first, thousands of people in town for the Sugar Bowl joined locals celebrating New Year’s Eve into the early morning hours Wednesday.
The celebrations ended with a U.S. Army veteran plowing a pickup truck waving an ISIS flag into a busy intersection on Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than two dozen others.
After jerking his truck around a barrier to race down a sidewalk and into a crowd in the street, Shamsud Din Jabbar finally crashed into construction equipment then opened fire with an AR-style rifle before he was fatally shot by police shortly after 3:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Alex Woodward has this in-depth look at the tragedy.
‘You can’t unhear’ the screams: New Orleans revelers end horror night in shock
‘I was in straight panic mode’: How a mother saved her daughter from New Orleans attack
11:00 , Kelly RissmanAn Alabama woman wounded in Wednesday’s New Orleans truck attack said her mother’s quick thinking during an emergency phone call helped save her life.
Alexis Scott-Windham, 23, of Mobile, Alabama, was in the French Quarter the evening before the attack to celebrate New Year’s Eve with friends.
She was one of scores of people that attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, hit with a rented truck in the early hours of New Year’s Day, a massacre which ultimately killed 14 people.
Scott-Windham, after the truck clipped her, was then hit in the foot during gunfire between Jabbar and police that followed the vehicle attack
The 23-year-old looked around and saw a dead body next to her, and noticed her foot was “leaking” blood, she told NBC News.
As she waited for an ambulance, her friends called her mother, who advised putting a tourniquet around Scott-Windham’s ankle to choke off the blood flow.
Woman shot in New Orleans attack describes how phone call to mom helped save her
New Orleans is installing new barriers — but they don’t protect against vehicles moving at moderate speeds: report
12:30 , Kelly RissmanAfter a suspect drove a rented Ford F-150 into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and leaving dozens of others injured, the city of New Orleans is now installing street barriers — but they can only withstand 10-mph impacts, according to a report.
An engineering analysis, obtained by Reuters, found that a vehicle like the truck used in the attack could enter Bourbon Street at speeds ranging from 12 to 70 mph. But these new barriers — called “bollards” — cannot withstand impacts at those speeds, according to the outlet.
The bollards are set to be put in place on Bourbon Street in time for the Super Bowl, which New Orleans is hosting on February 9. But they were removed for repairs, allowing the suspect to reportedly drive onto the subject, hitting a crowd of innocent people.
The deadly attack is unlikely to impact the city’s tourism, experts predict
14:00 , Kelly RissmanAlthough some have wondered if New Orleans, a hotspot for tourism, would see a decline in visitors after the deadly New Year’s Day attack, experts say the city has nothing to worry about.
Hours after the attack, New Orleans was set to host the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Next month, it will host the Super Bowl. In March, it will host its annual Mardi Gras festivities.
“Understanding that everyone has different ideas of what’s safe, it would be a shame to cancel plans to visit the Big Easy over the terror attack,” Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, told Fox Business.
The suspect plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street, a popular drinking destination.
“Already Bourbon Street has reopened and the city is relying on tourism dollars for the next big events in the city including Mardi Gras, Super Bowl and Jazz Fest,” Henderson told the outlet. “The best thing you can do to support the community is to keep your plans to visit.”
Gilbert Ott, head of partnerships at reward travel platform godsavethepoints.com predicted that New Orleans, and other cities impacted by disaster, are likely to “bounce back very quickly when incidents happen.”
“I know the international community, thanks to the excitement New Orleans attracts around the world, will rally around this historic city as it has before,” Ott told the outlet. “Passengers flying to New Orleans tend to book their travel a few weeks to months in advance — for major events like the Super Bowl, or events like bachelor and bachelorette parties or 40th birthday celebrations. They’re still coming, as they should.”
WATCH: Heartbreaking comparison of New Orleans before and after terror attack
15:00 , Kelly RissmanWoman shot in New Orleans terror attack describes how her mom helped save her over the phone
15:05 , Katie HawkinsonAn Alabama woman wounded in Wednesday’s New Orleans truck attack said her mother’s quick thinking during an emergency phone call helped save her life.
Alexis Scott-Windham, 23, of Mobile, Alabama, was in the French Quarter the evening before the attack to celebrate New Year’s Eve with friends. She was one of scores of people that attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, hit with a rented truck in the early hours of New Year’s Day, a massacre which ultimately killed 14 people.
Scott-Windham, after the truck clipped her, was then hit in the foot during gunfire between Jabbar and police that followed the vehicle attack
The 23-year-old looked around and saw a dead body next to her, and noticed her foot was “leaking” blood, she told NBC News. As she waited for an ambulance, her friends called her mother, who advised putting a tourniquet around Scott-Windham’s ankle to choke off the blood flow.“So I just told my daughter’s friend to just tie her other sock around her leg so she wouldn’t bleed so heavy,” Tryphena Scott-Windham told the broadcaster, saying she’d seen people use such treatments on TV. “I just blurted that out. I was in straight panic mode.”
“I’m just sitting there with my homemade tourniquet,” her daugter added in an interview with NBC. “I was just thankful. I was blessed. I was just grateful. I was just like, ‘Lord, I’m just glad I made it to the hospital, Lord, because it could have been way worse.’”
Read the full story:
Woman shot in New Orleans attack describes how phone call to mom helped save her
