New Orleans attack: Rented truck with Texas license plates plowed into crowd on Bourbon Street
NEW ORLEANS - The pickup truck that a man drove down New Orleans' Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 people New Year's morning, has Texas license plates, FOX News has learned.
According to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the suspect rented the pickup truck on Monday and had been driving the rented vehicle in Houston before heading to New Orleans.
MORE: New Orleans live updates: Driver plows into Bourbon Street crowd, killing 15
Turo, a car sharing marketplace, confirmed that one of their host's vehicles was involved in the attack.
"We are heartbroken to learn that one of our host’s vehicles was involved in this awful incident. We are actively partnering with the FBI. We are not currently aware of anything in this guest’s background that would have identified him as a trust and safety threat to us at the time of the reservation," Turo said in a statement.
FOX News also reports that the truck was tracked crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas at Eagle Pass in November, but the person who crossed the border is not believed to be the attacker.
FBI identifies New Orleans truck attack suspect
Shamsud-Din Jabbar (Photo provided by FBI)
The FBI has identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
Patrick said Jabbar is from the Houston area.
MORE: New Orleans truck attack suspect identified as Houston resident, FOX News reports
According to the FBI, he is a U.S.-born citizen from Texas and an Army veteran.
What happened in New Orleans?
Fourteen people were killed and dozens of others were injured when a man intentionally drove down Bourbon Street early New Year's morning, authorities said.
"He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.
According to Kirkpatrick, around 3:15 a.m., the man drove a pickup truck around the barricades blocking Bourbon Street and drove down the street at a fast pace, "trying to run over as many people as he possibly could."
FBI investigators arrive at the scene where the white Ford F-150 pickup truck that crashed into a work lift after allegedly driving into a crowd of New Years revelers in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 1, 2025. (Photo by MATT
2 officers shot on Bourbon Street
Once the driver crashed, he opened fire on officers, Kirkpatrick said.
Two officers were struck and taken to the hospital in stable condition.
The FBI says officers returned fire, and the man died at the scene.
Possible explosive device found
The FBI says weapons and a potential improvised explosive device were found in the man's vehicle, and other potential IEDs were also found in the French Quarter.
"The FBI’s Special Agent Bomb Technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if any of these devices are viable and they will work to render those devices safe," the FBI said in a statement.
New Orleans attack investigated as ‘act of terrorism’
In a statement Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said the FBI is investigating the incident as "an act of terrorism."
The FBI says an ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and the agency is working to determine any possible associations with terrorist organizations.
Kirkpatrick also described it as "very intentional behavior." She said it was not a case of an intoxicated driver.
"This is more complex and more serious based on the information we have right now," Kirkpatrick said.
"The FBI, the ATF, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and will deploy every available resource to conduct this investigation," Garland said.
The Source: The information in this article is from the FBI, the New Orleans Police Department, FOX News and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Houston.