KUALA LUMPUR — Fifteen people were killed in a New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, in Louisiana, USA, when an Army veteran rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of revellers.
The attacker, who was killed in a shootout with police, has been identified as a 42-year-old Texas citizen named Shamsud-Din Jabbar who drove the rented truck into a crowd celebrating on the city’s famous Bourbon Street in the French Quarter at around 3.15am yesterday.
US media, citing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said Shamsud was a real estate agent working in Houston and an IT specialist while he was with the military.
An Islamic State flag was also found in his vehicle, leading to local police’s description of Shamsud as a “terrorist”.
However, the FBI is still investigating to ascertain if the attacker has any links with such organisations.
According to police accounts as told to US media, Shamsud mowed down people as he drove the truck through crowds for a length of three blocks while shooting at the crowd. He then got out of the truck and used an assault rifle to open fire on police officers.
He was killed by return fire, while at least two policemen have been injured.
Media also report that two homemade bombs were found and neutralised.
Shamsud was an IT specialist in the US Army from 2007 to 2015, and then in the army reserve until 2020. He served in Afghanistan from February 2009 until January 2010, and held the rank of Staff Sergeant at the end of his service. – January 2, 2025