New Orleans attack latest: Suspect's travel to Egypt under investigation | Live updates

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Last updated: Saturday, January 4, 2025 11:43AM GMT
Timeline of suspect Shamsud-Dim Jabbar's New Orleans attack
In the wake of the deadly car-ramming attack on New Orleans' bustling Bourbon Street, federal investigators have released a timeline of events surrounding the New Year's Day incident.

NEW ORLEANS -- Law enforcement agencies are expanding their investigation into the New Year's ramming attack on New Orleans' Bourbon Street which killed 14 people and injured dozens more in the early hours of Wednesday.

City and federal officials said an Army veteran -- identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42 -- was "hell-bent" on killing as many people as possible. The suspect drove a pickup truck around a parked police car serving as a barricade and plowed into crowds of revelers, officials said.

Emergency services attend the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025.
Emergency services attend the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

The alleged attacker then exited the damaged vehicle armed with an assault rifle and opened fire on police officers, law enforcement officials said. Jabbar was also armed with a handgun, sources told ABC News.

Officers returned fire, killing Jabbar, a U.S.-born citizen from Texas, sources said.

Get the latest live updates here.

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Jan 03, 2025, 5:32 PM

FBI shares timeline of New Orleans attack investigation

The FBI shared a timeline of events on Thursday of Shamsud-Din Jabbar's movements leading up to the attack and the investigation.

Before summer 2024: Shamsud-Din Jabbar allegedly joins ISIS

Dec 30: Shamsud-Din Jabbar picks up rented Ford F15 in Houston, Texas

Dec 31: Jabbar drives rented truck from Houston to New Orleans, Louisiana. The drive is approximately five and a half hours, spanning over 340 miles.

Jan 1 at 1:29 a.m. CT: Jabbar posts five timestamped videos to an online platform between 1:29 a.m. and 3:02 a.m., where he allegedly proclaims his support for ISIS.

In the first video, he explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the "war between the believers and the disbelievers."

This is also when he states that he joined ISIS before the summer.

He also provided a last will and testament.

Jan 1 at 2:03 a.m. CT: Surveillance footage shows Jabbar as he walked along Dauphine Street near Governor Nicholls Street. He is dressed in a light brown long coat, a dark-colored button-down shirt, blue jeans and what appears to be brown dress shoes. The FBI says Jabbar is seen placing devices inside coolers near Bourbon Street before the attack. They believe he acted along and changed clothes, law enforcement officials say.

Jan 1 at 3:02 a.m. CT: Jabbar posts his last of the five videos.

Jan 1 at 3:15 a.m. CT: Jabbar opened fire after ramming pedestrians on Bourbon Street.

Jan 1: Following the attack, authorities recovered two improvised explosive devices left in coolers in the Bourbon Street area, the FBI said. Those were the only devices recovered and both were rendered safe.

Jan 1: In the aftermath of the deadly incident, family members and friends have begun identifying the 14 people killed on Bourbon Street.

Jan 2: Jabbar's divorces and financial difficulties come to light. The records also show that after his military service, Jabbar worked for Deloitte as he aimed to grow his own fledgling real estate business.

Jan 2: Bourbon Street crime scene turned back over to City of New Orleans.

Jan 2: Bomb-making materials linked to the suspect were recovered by FBI agents and local law enforcement at Jabbar's last known residence in Houston, Texas, sources confirmed to ABC News. The items found were also referred to as "precursor chemicals" by agents in the field, sources said. The items were found when agents executed a search warrant at Jabbar's home in the small community of Greenspoint, in north Houston.

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Jan 01, 2025, 6:36 PM GMT

New Orleans officials investigating suspect identity

New Orleans officials are investigating the identity of the suspect.

They said they have identified a name -- albeit a common name -- so authorities say they want to be certain that they have identified the right person before releasing a name.

Security personnel investigate the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025.
Security personnel investigate the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025.

After mowing down numerous people over a three-block stretch on the famed thoroughfare while firing shots into the crowd, the suspect allegedly got out of the truck wielding an assault rifle and opened fire on police officers, law enforcement officials briefed on the incident told ABC News. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect.

Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver had attempted to kill as many people as possible. The truck used in the attack appeared to be a F-150 Lightning, an electric vehicle. A black flag appeared to be attached to the vehicle, but its significance was not immediately known.

"He was hellbent on creating the carnage that he did," Kirkpatrick said at a news conference early Wednesday.

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Jan 01, 2025, 6:36 PM GMT

President Biden releases statement on New Orleans attack

President Joe Biden has released a statement on the deadly truck attack in New Orleans.

Full statement below:

"I have been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight. The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury. I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind."

"I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities."

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Jan 01, 2025, 6:36 PM GMT

Truck used in New Orleans attack apparently rented through carsharing app

The F150 truck that was used in the New Orleans attack was a vehicle rented through the Turo app - a carsharing company, ACB News has learned.

The truck's owner told ABC News that he rented this truck to an individual through Turo and that he is currently talking to the FBI, declining to comment further.

The truck owner's wife said they are devastated.

"My husband rents cars through the Turo app. I can't tell you anything else. I'm here with my kids, and this is devastating," she said.

ABC News has reached out to Turo for comment.

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Jan 01, 2025, 7:50 PM GMT

15 dead, dozens injured after vehicle plows into crowd in 'terrorist attack'

A suspect who was "hellbent" on killing as many people as possible drove a pickup truck around barricades and plowed his vehicle through a crowd of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans at a high rate of speed, leaving at least 15 dead and injuring dozens of others early Wednesday, city and federal officials said.

After mowing down numerous people over a three-block stretch on the famed thoroughfare while firing shots into the crowd, the suspect -- identified by the FBI as Shamsud Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran -- allegedly got out of the truck wielding an assault rifle and opened fire on police officers, law enforcement officials briefed on the incident told ABC News. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect who was not immediately identified, sources said. At least two police officers were shot and wounded, authorities said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI is investigating this matter as an act of terrorism.