FBI: Suspect in New Orleans Attack Likely Did Not Act Alone

Investigations into the motives of a U.S. Army veteran who drove a truck bearing the flag of the terrorist group ISIS into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year's Eve, killing 15 and injuring over 30, are ongoing. According to Reuters, the investigation is currently focused on whether the suspect, Shamsuddin Jabbar, a 42-year-old American citizen from Texas who served in Afghanistan, received assistance in planning this deadly attack in New Orleans. The FBI is treating this incident as a terrorist act and believes the driver did not act alone. FBI officials have also stated they are looking for possible connections between the deadly New Orleans attack and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. The victims of the New Orleans attack included a mother of a 4-year-old who had recently moved to a new apartment after a job promotion, a financial employee from New York, an athlete who had returned home for the holidays, and an 18-year-old from Mississippi who aspired to become a nurse. U.S. officials have emphasized that they continue to search for evidence regarding whether Shamsuddin Jabbar had accomplices. The FBI previously indicated that the discovery of the ISIS flag in the assailant's vehicle has led to investigations to determine any potential connections and affiliations of the suspect with 'terrorist organizations.' This matter is significant as one of the New Year's traditions is the holding of football games known as the 'Sugar Bowl,' which has been postponed for 24 hours due to this terrorist incident. Meanwhile, police forces in various parts of the city are searching for possible explosives and looking for clues in neighborhoods. New Orleans is also set to host the American football championship game known as the 'Super Bowl' on February 10. The FBI reported that police found weapons and an explosive device in the assailant's vehicle, and two other explosive devices were found in the 'French Quarter' of New Orleans. U.S. President Joe Biden called the attack 'horrific' on Wednesday evening following the terrorist incident in New Orleans. The President stated that his team is monitoring the situation and that officials are investigating any potential links between the New Orleans attack and the explosion in Las Vegas. Publicly available evidence shows that Shamsuddin Jabbar worked in real estate in Houston, Texas. In a promotional video released four years ago, he identified himself as being born and raised in Beaumont, a city about 130 kilometers east of Houston. An Army spokesperson stated that Jabbar served in the regular Army from March 2007 to January 2015 and then joined the Army Reserve from January 2015 to July 2020. He was deployed to Afghanistan between February 2009 and January 2010. CNN reported, citing officials involved in the investigation, that the suspect recorded videos in which he referred to dreams of joining ISIS and once contemplated killing his family after a divorce.