Three hours after the new year had begun, celebrations were brought to a halt in New Orleans. January 1st 2025 at 3:15 am, a terrorist attack began on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Texas-born citizen and military veteran Shasmud-Din Jabbar turned onto the street forcefully past police officers, ramming his rental F-150 through several people. 15 civilians were killed with roughly 35 injured by the vehicle. After the rampage, the 42-year-old Jabbar exited the vehicle and began to shoot at law enforcement officers which resulted in his own death at the shootout.
At inspection of Jabbar’s vehicle, officers found ISIS flags and explosives in the bed of the truck. In the days that followed, bombs were found around the city as well, and retrieved safely. It is speculated that the failure to explode the homemade bombs is what resulted in Jabbar’s drive through the crowds. Scott Sweetow, former director of the FBI’s Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center remarks that the casualties could have been tremendously worse, numbering up to hundreds instead of 15.
At the news of the attack, President Biden broadcasted from the security of Camp David to address the tragedy. According to the Washington State Standard, “Biden vowed to provide all federal resources necessary to assist in the investigation.” Likewise, President-elect Donald Trump responded with the statement, “The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!” Along with this statement Trump remarked that “criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country…” before it was announced that Jabbar was an American born citizen.
In the days that followed, autopsies helped identify the victims of the New Year’s attack. Some of the victims include Martin Bech a former football player at Princeton University, Edward Pettifer a citizen of London and a family friend of the royal family, Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux an 18-year-old nursing student, and Kareem Badawi a student at the university of Alabama. Those listed are only 4 of the 15 whose lives were tragically cut short that morning.
The country is in mourning for the victims and their families. Attorney General Merrick Garland voices that “the country woke up [that] morning to news of a terrible tragedy… My heart is broken for those who began their year by learning people they love were killed in this horrific attack…” It has since been 16 days since the attack, but the wound is still fresh; prayers are needed for those effected.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygrvveye0o
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/new-orleans-attacker-tried-use-high-explosive-killed-hundreds-rcna186357
https://abcnews.go.com/US/1-dead-vehicle-strikes-crowd-new-orleans-police/story?id=117246329
