Spirits were high in the early hours of New Year’s Day for the people of New Orleans. Packed bars, loud music, and friends and family crowded the French Quarter, an area home to some of the city’s popular nightlife. At around 3 a.m., however, the night turned dark when a man by the name of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas resident and U.S. Army veteran, drove a truck at high-speed into a crowd. Jabbar drove through three streets, hitting dozens of pedestrians along the way. He would end up crashing the vehicle and firing shots at police before being killed by return fire. Jabbar’s attack left 14 people dead, dozens wounded, and some seriously injured. The Federal Bureau of Investigation classified the attack as an act of terrorism. They also stated that they believed Jabbar was inspired by the Islamic State extremist group. The FBI has said the black flag of the Islamic State group was found inside the vehicle, along with two suspected improvised explosive devices, as well.

While there was speculation that Jabbar might have been leading an attack, the FBI concluded that no one else was involved.  

Article by Alex Doig