A devastating terror attack struck New Orleans on New Year’s Day, leaving a trail of death and destruction on Bourbon Street. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and former Army reservist, was killed in a shootout with police.
As the investigation unfolds, early indications point to a plot inspired by the Islamic State terror group.
The FBI confirmed that Jabbar had planted an IS flag in the pickup truck used in the attack, and President Joe Biden revealed that the suspect had posted videos on social media indicating his loyalty to ISIS just hours before the attack. The investigation is ongoing, with search warrants executed in New Orleans and other states, and a possible connection to an attempted bombing in Las Vegas being explored.
Experts say the attack bears a chilling resemblance to tactics long promoted by IS propagandists. “What we saw fits in with the common pattern we’ve seen from the Islamic State for a while,” said Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “They’ve been calling for car ramming attacks for years.”
The use of vehicles as weapons of terror is a tactic that has been employed by IS-inspired attackers in the past, including a devastating attack in Nice, France, in 2016 that killed over 80 people. As the investigation into the New Orleans attack continues, one thing is clear: the threat of terrorism remains a grim reality, and vigilance is key to preventing such atrocities.
