The suspect in the New Orleans truck attack that killed at least 14 people on January 1 acted alone and is believed to be a supporter of the Islamic State group, the FBI said.
Authorities had previously been investigating him for possible collaboration with others. The suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, drove a truck into a crowd on New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street and opened fire, the FBI told reporters Thursday.
The suspect’s phone records, social media accounts and electronic devices were reviewed, and hundreds of interviews were conducted, and no one was identified as a collaborator, FBI Counterterrorism Director Christopher Raia said at a news conference. Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, served in the U.S. Army and most recently in the Reserves.
He was shot and killed by police. The attack occurred at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday as people were celebrating New Year’s Eve. President Joe Biden said Wednesday night that New Orleans should not be defeated by the attack, saying it was a region loved around the world for its culture and, especially, its people.
