US Army veteran who killed 15 people in New Orleans attack took inspiration from Islamic State group

NEW ORLEANS (AP) A U.S. Army veteran who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers in New Orleans, killing 15 people, posted videos on social media hours before the carnage, claiming he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressing a desire to kill, the president said.

The FBI said it was investigating the attack, calling it a terrorist act. In Wednesday morning's attack, a driver drove around a police barricade and rammed into partygoers before being shot dead by police. The FBI said it does not believe the driver acted alone.

Investigators found weapons and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle that flew the Islamic State group's flag, as well as other explosive devices elsewhere in the city's notorious French Quarter.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening that the FBI found the videos posted by the driver on social media. He described the attack as a despicable and heinous act.

The rampage transformed festive Bourbon Street into a grisly scene of mutilated victims, bloodied bodies and pedestrians fleeing for safety at nightclubs and restaurants. In addition to the deaths, dozens of people were injured. A college football playoff game at the nearby Superdome was postponed until Thursday.

Zion Parsons, 18, of Gulfport, Mississippi, said he saw the truck speeding, tossing people like a movie scene, throwing them into the air.

Bodies, bodies all over the street, everyone screaming and screaming, said Parsons, whose friend Nikyra Dedeaux was among those killed.

This is not simply an act of terrorism. It's evil, said New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick.

The attack is the latest example of a vehicle being used as a weapon to commit mass violence and the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in years.

The driver defeated safety measures put in place to protect pedestrians, Kirkpatrick said, and was determined to create the carnage and damage he caused.

The FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, and said it was looking into any potential associations with terrorist organizations.

We don't believe Jabbar is solely responsible, FBI Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan said at a news conference.

Investigators found several improvised explosives, including two pipe bombs hidden in coolers and wired for remote detonation, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.

The bulletin, drawing on preliminary information gathered shortly after the attack, also cites surveillance footage showing three men and a woman placing one of the devices, but federal authorities did not immediately confirm that detail and it Wasn't clear who it was or what. connection they had with the attack, if any.

Jabbar drove a rented van onto a sidewalk, going around a police car positioned to block vehicle traffic, authorities said. A barrier system intended to prevent vehicle attacks was being repaired in preparation for the Super Bowl in February.

Jabbar was killed by police after getting out of the truck and opening fire on responding officers, Kirkpatrick said. Three police officers returned fire. Two were shot and are in stable condition.

Investigators recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Deadly explosions also took place in Honolulu and outside a Las Vegas hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump. President Joe Biden said the FBI was investigating whether the Las Vegas explosion was linked to the New Orleans attack but had nothing to report as of Wednesday evening.

A photo circulated among law enforcement showed a bearded Jabbar wearing camouflage next to the truck after he was killed. The intelligence bulletin obtained by the AP said he was wearing a ballistic vest and helmet. The Islamic State group's flag was present on the truck's trailer hitch, the FBI said.

For those who don't believe in objective evil, all you have to do is look at what happened in our city early this morning, said U.S. Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana. If this doesn't trigger the gag reflex of every American, every fair-minded American, I'll be very surprised.

Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, serving on active duty in human resources and information technology and deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, the service said. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.

Hours after the attack, several vans from the coroner's office were parked on the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets, cordoned off by police tape, with crowds of dazed tourists standing, some trying to get their luggage through the maze of dams.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry urged people to avoid the area, which remains an active crime scene.

“We looked out our front door and saw caution tape, dead silence and it's eerie,” said Tessa Cundiff, an Indiana native who moved to the French Quarter years ago. a few years ago. This isn't what we fell in love with, it's sad.

Nearby, life continued as normal in the town known to some for its motto which translates as “let the good times pass”. At a cafe a block from where the truck stopped, people were milling about for breakfast to the sound of upbeat pop music. Two blocks away, people were drinking at a bar, as if nothing had happened.

Biden, speaking from the presidential retreat at Camp David, addressed the victims and residents of New Orleans: I want you to know that I grieve with you. Our nation mourns with you as you grieve and heal.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were just trying to celebrate this holiday, Biden said in an earlier written statement. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate attacks on any of our country's communities.

FBI officials have repeatedly warned of an increased international terrorist threat due to the war between Israel and Hamas. The agency thwarted other potential attacks last year, including in October when it arrested an Afghan man in Oklahoma for an alleged Election Day plot targeting large crowds.

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Tucker reported from Washington, D.C. and Mustian from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Associated Press journalists Stephen Smith, Chevel Johnson and Brett Martel in New Orleans; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Alanna Durkin Richer, Tara Copp and Zeke Miller in Washington, DC; Darlene Superville in New Castle, Del.; Colleen Long in West Palm Beach, Florida; and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.

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