Shamsud Din Bahar Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran, drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, on New Year’s Day, resulting in 14 fatalities and dozens of injuries. The FBI has identified Jabbar, 42, as having acted alone in this premeditated act of terrorism, although he was reportedly inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS). He was killed in a shootout with police following the attack.
The investigation into the incident led to the arrest of an unnamed suspect in Iraq, alleged to be a member of ISIS’s external operations office. Iraqi authorities detained this suspect based on a U.S. request for assistance in the case. The suspect is expected to face trial under Iraq’s anti-terrorism laws, highlighting international cooperation to combat terrorism.
Evidence gathered indicates that Jabbar had increasingly isolated himself and adopted extremist views in 2022. He had posted videos expressing support for ISIS just hours before the attack and had made prior visits to New Orleans and researched similar vehicle attacks in Europe. Reports revealed that two explosive devices were found near the attack site but did not detonate.
Despite ISIS’s territorial losses since 2017, the group continues to pose a threat, maintaining sleeper cells and conducting operations in Iraq and Syria, while overseeing networks globally. The situation has drawn renewed scrutiny to the connections between extremism and individuals with military backgrounds, as state officials, including Louisiana’s Governor and Attorney General, emphasized ongoing efforts to safeguard public safety and seek justice for the victims. The investigation by the FBI remains active, with leads being pursued across multiple jurisdictions.
