Investigators in New Orleans, Louisiana, were searching on Thursday for what motivated a U.S. Army veteran flying an ISIS flag from his truck to plow into a crowd of New Year's revelers, killing 15 people and injuring 30 more before dying in a shootout with police.
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NewsTranscript
00:00A U.S. Army veteran flying an ISIS flag from his truck rammed through makeshift barriers
00:07and into the crowded French Quarter of New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing 15 people
00:12in what officials believe may have been a coordinated attack.
00:16The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsuddin Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas who once
00:23served in Afghanistan, was killed in a shootout with police after ramming the crowd.
00:28The attack injured about 30 other people, including two police officers wounded by
00:32gunfire from the suspect.
00:34It occurred around 3.15 a.m. near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic tourist
00:40hub renowned for its vibrant music scene and bars, where crowds were celebrating the New
00:45Year.
00:46Police and political leaders vowed to apprehend any accomplices involved.
00:51The Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, reported that weapons and a potential explosive
00:56device were found in the suspect's vehicle.
00:59Two additional explosive devices discovered in the French Quarter were safely neutralized.
01:04As a precaution, officials postponed the Sugar Bowl, a traditional New Year's Day college
01:09football game, between Notre Dame and Georgia to Thursday afternoon.
01:13Authorities conducted citywide sweeps for possible explosive devices and intensified
01:18their search for leads.
01:20An ISIS flag attached to the rented truck led investigators to explore potential connections
01:25to terrorist organizations.
01:27We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible.
01:30We're aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.
01:35Hours before the attack, Jabbar allegedly posted social media videos expressing his
01:40allegiance to ISIS and intent to kill.
01:43U.S. President Joe Biden condemned what he called a despicable act, and clarified that
01:49there was no evidence linking the New Orleans incident to a separate Tesla truck fire near
01:54a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.
01:57Public records revealed that Jabbar had been working in real estate in Houston.
02:01Mike and Kimberly Strickland, visitors from Mobile, Alabama, recounted their proximity
02:07to the attack.
02:08You just heard this squeal and like the rev of the engine and then this huge, loud impact
02:15and then the people screaming and debris, just metal, the sound of crunching metal and
02:23bodies.
02:26New Orleans Police Chief Ann Kirkpatrick acknowledged that temporary security barriers
02:31along Bourbon Street failed to prevent the attack.
02:35The suspect bypassed a police car and drove onto the sidewalk.
02:39The city had been replacing older barriers, installed in 2017 as part of a $40 million
02:45U.S. security plan, with upgraded bollards.
02:49Governor Jeff Landry pledged to address the security shortcomings highlighted by the attack.
02:55New Orleans, set to host the NFL Super Bowl on February 9th, remains on high alert.
03:09For more information visit www.fema.gov