Bourbon Street Attacker Identified After Deadly Rampage In New Orleans

The man responsible for a deadly attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, the FBI said in a statement. He previously served in the U.S. military, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News.

At least 10 people were killed and dozens were injured when the attacker drove around barricades and hurtled down Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter in "very intentional behavior," as New Year's revelers were celebrating early on Wednesday, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.

"He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," Kirkpatrick said.

The FBI said it is investigating the incident "as an act of terrorism." 

"We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible," FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference, asking for the public's help to provide photos, videos or any other information connected to Jabbar. 

What happened on Bourbon Street in New Orleans?

The attacker drove a pickup truck into a crowd at about 3:15 a.m., killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others, officials said. He then exited the vehicle — a Ford pickup truck — and fired upon local law enforcement, the FBI said, adding that the truck appears to have been rented. Two law enforcement officers were injured and transported to a local hospital. 

The attacker was struck by police fire and declared dead at the scene, the New Orleans Police Department said. 

"This man was trying to run over as many people as he could," said Kirkpatrick, adding that the two police officers who were hit by gunfire were in a stable condition.

Officials said Jabbar bypassed barriers put in place on Bourbon Street instead of bollards - security barriers - during the attack. New Orleans was replacing bollards on the street and near completion before the upcoming Super Bowl, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.

Kirkpatrick said Jabbar drove around the barriers bypassing patrol cars, barriers and law enforcement and onto the sidewalk.

"We had a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and he still got around, " Kirkpatrick said.

What we know about the Bourbon Street attacker

Investigators are looking into whether Jabbar was connected to — or inspired by — a foreign terror organization, law enforcement and city official sources told CBS News. The FBI said Wednesday they believe that Jabbar, 42, did not "act alone" in the attack.

An ISIS flag was found on the trailer hitch of the vehicle, the FBI said, adding that the agency is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations. 

The truck that crashed into the crowd appeared to be flying a large black flag from its rear bumper, according to a CBS News review of images of the vehicle. 

"Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject's vehicle," the FBI said in a statement Wednesday. "Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter." 

The FBI said Wednesday afternoon that two IEDs had been found and neutralized.

A person familiar with the investigation told CBS News that as of midday Wednesday, neither ISIS nor any other foreign terror organization had claimed responsibility for the attack. 

The deceased attacker was wearing body armor, two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News. A long gun "with a suppressive device" on it that acted as a silencer was recovered from the scene, law enforcement sources said.

A current and a former senior law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation told CBS News the man rented an Airbnb in New Orleans. A fire broke out at the Airbnb Wednesday, and investigators are examining if there is a link between the blaze and the attack, the source said.

According to records obtained by CBS News, Jabbar was a resident of Houston. A spokesperson for Georgia State University told CBS News that the attacker attended the university from 2015 to 2017 and graduated with a B.B.A. in Computer Information Systems. 

He had a hunting and fishing license and appears to have had a real estate license that expired in 2021. He also had prior brushes with the law, including theft and driving without a license. 

Jabbar was divorced in 2020, according to court records obtained by CBS News, and his wife at the time had filed a temporary restraining order for her and their children's safety.

What we know about the victims of the New Orleans attack

The City of New Orleans said in a statement that at least 10 people were confirmed dead and dozens of people were transported to area hospitals with injuries. Kirkpatrick later said that at least 35 people were hospitalized. 

St. Thomas More Catholic High School confirmed that 2015 graduate Tiger Bech as one of the victims of the Bourbon Street attack. "Tiger was a 2015 graduate and standout in football, lacrosse, and track and field," the school said. A football star, Bech, 28, attended Princeton University on scholarship and twice earned All-Ivy League honors as a return specialist, according to CBS Sports. 

A University of Georgia student was injured in the attack, the school confirmed. "We have learned that a University of Georgia student was critically injured in the attack and is receiving medical treatment," the university's president Jere W. Morehead said on social media. 

Two Israeli citizens were also injured in the attack, according to a post from Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs on social media.