Driver Plows Car Through New Year's Crowd On Bourbon Street Leaving 10 Dead And Dozens Injured In New Orleans
At least 10 people have been killed and at least 30 more individuals have been injured after a driver plowed a pickup truck down Bourbon Street in New Orleans at approximately 3:15 AM ET on Wednesday morning. The driver got out of the vehicle and fired a weapon after driving through the crowd of New Year's revelers.
Fox News has confirmed that the attacker, a man, is now dead after exchanging gunfire with police. It is unclear if he was hit by an officer or if he ended his own life. Two police officers were shot during the incident.
The truck used in the attack had a Texas license plate, and was reportedly tracked crossing the southern border into the U.S. at Eagle Pass, Texas, two days prior to the attack. It has not been confirmed that the attacker was driving the vehicle when it crossed the border. Police have also not confirmed the attacker's immigration status.
UPDATE (2:00 p.m. ET): The FBI released a statement with the name of the suspected attacker and potential ties to the terrorist organization ISIS:
"The subject has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which appears to have been rented and we are working to confirm how the subject came into possession of the vehicle. An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle and the FBI is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.
Police cordon off the area around the site of the overnight attack in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 1, 2025.
(MATTHEW HINTON/AFP via Getty Images)
"Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject’s vehicle. Other potential IEDs were also located 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 is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism. We are aggressively running down all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject. The FBI has set up a digital tip line and we ask anyone with information or video of the incident to submit them to www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetattack or call 1-800-CALL-FBI."
UPDATE (6:00 p.m.):
UPDATE (3:45 p.m.): Authorities say three men and one woman were seen on video planting explosives in New Orleans.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the incident a "horrific act of violence" while urging anyone near the scene to avoid the area. New Orleans is playing host to the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia on Wednesday, with kickoff set for 8:45 ET.
"The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," Jeff Hundley, Chief Executive Officer of the Sugar Bowl, said in a statement. "We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available."
UPDATE (2:10 p.m.): According to WSB-TV, the Sugar Bowl is being postponed until Thursday.
During a Wednesday morning press conference, New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick shared a different message for visitors and fans in the area and urged them to "continue enjoying" the city while avoiding Bourbon Street.
Kirkpatrick also stated that "the city has been impacted by a terror attack" while New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell shared a similar message calling it a "terrorist attack." FBI Special Agent Aletha Duncan contradicted those statements and explained that the incident was "not a terrorist attack" just seconds after Kirkpatrick's statement, but the FBI later confirmed that the incident is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
This story will be updated with new information as it becomes available throughout the day. Check back here for updates.