US President Joe Biden confirmed that the attacker behind the deadly incident in New Orleans, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, acted alone, despite strong indications that he had significant support for ISIS. The attack, which took place early Wednesday morning, left 14 people dead and 35 others injured after Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove his pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street. Following the incident, the FBI began treating the event as an act of terrorism.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old former veteran from Houston, died in a shootout with local police after the attack. According to President Joe Biden, the FBI briefed him, stating that, at this point, no other individuals have been found to be involved in the attack. Additionally, the FBI confirmed that Shamsud-Din Jabbar was the same person who planted explosives in two nearby ice coolers just hours before driving into the crowd. The explosives were intended to cause further destruction but were reportedly detonated remotely by Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s vehicle.
During a press conference at the White House, Joe Biden stated, “The attacker posted several videos just hours before the attack, showing his strong support for ISIS.” He further emphasized that both federal law enforcement and the intelligence community are actively investigating the possibility of any foreign or domestic connections related to the incident.
Joe Biden also revealed that he is planning to travel to New Orleans and has been briefed on the investigation. The FBI, in collaboration with other security agencies, is also probing whether there is any link between this attack and a recent explosion in Las Vegas. While there has been no confirmed evidence of such a connection, Joe Biden instructed his team to continue investigating, urging them to leave no stone unturned. It has been reported that the individual who rented the truck involved in the Las Vegas explosion had also served in the US Army.
The attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, served in human resources and information technology roles during his time in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including a deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. He continued his service in the Army Reserve until 2020 as an IT specialist. His military roles, however, did not involve direct combat.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas described Shamsud-Din Jabbar as part of a growing “phenomenon of homegrown violent extremists” that has emerged over the past decade in the United States. This incident has raised new concerns over the increasing number of domestic terror threats linked to extremism.
Despite the tragedy, Joe Biden expressed confidence in New Orleans’ resilience, noting the city’s “tremendous spirit.” He praised the local community for its strength in the face of such a devastating event. The President assured the public that all resources are being mobilized to uncover the facts surrounding the attack and prevent further tragedies.
As investigations continue, the New Orleans community remains in shock, and questions about the broader implications of domestic terrorism and extremism in the United States are set to intensify.
