On New Year’s Day, a tragic vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans left at least 15 dead and dozens injured. The incident happened early Wednesday when a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year’s on Bourbon Street. This attack came just as authorities were warning about the rising danger of vehicle-ramming attacks during large public events, especially around the holiday season.
Leading up to the holidays, federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Homeland Security, had issued warnings about the risk of such attacks. They pointed out that these simple, low-tech attacks were a major concern, especially during gatherings with large crowds. In past years, terrorists and lone attackers had used vehicles to cause mass casualties at events like parades and holiday celebrations.
Authorities also feared such attacks at popular events like New Year’s celebrations. In fact, just weeks before the attack in New Orleans, law enforcement had been advised to stay alert for potential vehicle-ramming incidents. They noted that terrorists and extremists had been increasingly targeting crowded pedestrian areas, using vehicles as weapons due to their deadly effectiveness and ease of access.
The suspect in the New Orleans attack was identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a man from Texas. He was killed by law enforcement after opening fire on officers. Investigators found weapons and potential explosives in his truck, as well as other improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the city. The FBI is treating the incident as an act of terrorism and investigating any possible links to terrorist groups, as an ISIS flag was discovered at the scene.
New Orleans officials said that the attack could have been prevented if certain security measures had been in place, but the suspect was able to bypass police barriers. This incident is the third consecutive year that New Year’s celebrations in the U.S. have been marred by violence. In previous years, there were similar attacks during New Year’s Eve events in New York and Rochester.
