New Orleans attack updates: Death toll from vehicle attack rises to 15, FBI says ‘driver in New Orleans ‘act of terrorism’ not..

The suspect was found with an ISIS flag and multiple suspected explosive devices in the car while carrying out the attack, which the FBI has classified as "an act of terrorism."

New Orleans: The death toll has now risen to at least 15 people in the New Orleans “act of terrorism” after a car rammed into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the early hours of Wednesday (US local time), CNN reported. Confirming the death toll, New Orleans Coroner Dwight McKenna stated, “As of now, 15 people are deceased. It will take several days to perform all autopsies. Once we complete the autopsies and talk with the next of kin, we will release the identifications of the victims.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that it does not believe Shamsud Din Jabbar, the car driver who carried out the New Orleans attack, was “solely responsible” for the ‘act of terrorism’. Jabbar rammed his car into a crowd on Bourbon Street during New Year’s celebrations, killing 10 people and injuring 35 others.

Biden confirms probe into ‘possible connection’ between New Orleans attack and Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion

Concerned about the attack and the safety of citizens, United States President Joe Biden expressed his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the FBI is leading the investigation and treating the incident as an act of terrorism. He assured that he would continue to receive updates throughout the day and provide further information as it becomes available.

He extended his condolences to the victims and their families, emphasizing that they were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. The President condemned the violence, asserting that there is no justification for such acts, and affirmed that any attack on the nation’s communities would not be tolerated.

“I have been continually briefed since early this morning regarding the horrific incident that occurred in New Orleans overnight. The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities,” reads United States President Joe Biden’s post.

Driver in New Orleans ‘act of terrorism’ not….; here’s what the FBI said

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated on Wednesday (local time) that it does not believe Shamsud Din Jabbar, the driver behind the New Orleans attack, was “solely responsible” for the act of terrorism. “The subject has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which appears to have been rented, and we are working to confirm how the subject came into possession of the vehicle,” the FBI in an official release said.

FBI Statement on the Attack in New Orleans https://t.co/Wt2I0kj9fV

The FBI has set up a digital tip line, and we ask anyone with information or video of the incident to submit them to https://t.co/LLKUGwHYhY or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

— FBI (@FBI) January 1, 2025

The suspect was found with an ISIS flag and multiple suspected explosive devices in the car while carrying out the attack, which the FBI has classified as “an act of terrorism.” FBI said, “Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject’s vehicle. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter. The FBI’s special agent bomb technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if any of these devices are viable, and they will work to render those devices safe.”

Earlier, President-elect Donald Trump reignited the debate over immigration and crime following the car-ramming incident, accusing Democrats of dismissing his warnings about criminal migration into the US. In a post on Truth Social, Trump remarked,”When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true. The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!.”