2025 New Orleans truck attack

Federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies had warned local police agencies about potential vehicle-ramming attacks before the holidays. In that same year, the city government acquired a set of L-shaped temporary Archer vehicle barriers from Meridian Rapid Defense Group and used them to help secure the city's Mardi Gras parade against vehicle attacks. The city spent $250,000 to purchase a set of 45 Archer barriers. A subsequent security assessment by Interfor International for the French Quarter Management District in 2019 stated concerns that the bollards did "not appear to work", and when assessing security vulnerabilities on Bourbon Street, stated that "the two modes of terror attack likely to be used are vehicular ramming and active shooting". American officials were concerned about the potential for lone wolf attacks and efforts by the Islamic State's Khorasan branch to recruit new members by spreading propaganda online and radicalizing vulnerable populations. The New Year celebrations in the city included parties on Bourbon Street and a parade for the 2025 Sugar Bowl, one of New Orleans's major sporting events, which was scheduled to take place on the night of January 1 at Caesars Superdome between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Law enforcement had increased security in preparation for these events, including the use of drones in the French Quarter. The bollards in New Orleans, that were often malfunctioning, were removed to be replaced in preparation for the Super Bowl LIX on February 9. ==Attack==

After exiting traffic, the perpetrator, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, drove the truck onto the sidewalk to bypass a police SUV and other barricades that had been placed to protect Bourbon Street. Eyewitnesses reported that steel barricades installed to prevent vehicular access were not raised before the attack, though New Orleans Police Department superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said that police were aware they malfunctioned sometimes and instead used other barricades. Kirkpatrick stated the suspect was "trying to run over as many people as he possibly could". Jabbar exited the truck and began shooting a gun. New Orleans police officers returned fire Jabbar wounded two police officers in the gunfight. Police officers recovered a .308 AR-10 rifle and Glock handgun. The white Ford F-150 Lightning light-duty truck used in the attack had been rented using Turo, and had been observed in Humble, Texas, on the morning before the attack. Later that day, the truck was observed in Baytown, Texas, heading east on Interstate 10 toward New Orleans. The truck was registered to a Houston man. and on January 9, 2025, newspaper Al-Naba claimed responsibility for the attack. The New Orleans PD, along with Mayor Cantrell, described the incident as a terrorist attack. Jason Williams, the district attorney for Orleans Parish, said that "driving a vehicle into a crowd is not particularly a thing that any law enforcement agency can be prepared for". The bollards were removed and were being replaced in advance of the upcoming Sugar Bowl when the attack occurred. The city still had temporary Archer vehicle barriers acquired back in 2017 but did not deploy them until after the attack had already occurred. Kirkpatrick was unaware that the city had them until after the attack. == Victims ==

Fourteen people, excluding the suspect, were killed. All of the deceased victims died of blunt force injuries. At least fifty-seven others were injured, including three people and two New Orleans police officers who were shot in a shootout. Immediately after the attack, emergency personnel took thirty of the wounded to five area hospitals, while other injured sought hospital care on their own. Israel's foreign ministry said two Israeli citizens were wounded in the attack.By January 5, the names of all fourteen deceased victims were released. There were eleven men and three women, ranging in age from 18 to 63. All were killed by blunt force injuries. Two were local to New Orleans: LaTasha Polk, 47, and 63-year-old Terrence Kennedy. Six further fatalities resided in Louisiana: Kareem Badawi, 18; Hubert Gauthreaux, 21; Reggie Hunter, 37; Nicole Perez, 27; Brandon Taylor, 43; and Elliot Wilkinson, 40. Martin "Tiger" Bech, 27, was a native of Louisiana but resided in New York City, and was the brother of NFL player Jack Bech. All but one of the remaining victims were from elsewhere in the United States: Andrew Dauphin, 26; Nikyra Dedeaux, 18; William DiMaio, 25; and Matthew Tenedorio, 25. == Aftermath ==

A reunification center was established at University Medical Center New Orleans. Many hotels in the area were evacuated, Security for the game was tightened, and the game went on without any incident. Local organizers said they would review security procedures for Super Bowl LIX to be held in New Orleans in February 2025. The New Orleans City Hall building was closed to the public on January 2 to reduce traffic. The victims, as well as first responders, were also honored before the kickoff of Super Bowl LIX. Members of the Bech and Tenedorio families flipped the ceremonial coin to end the ceremonies. ==Perpetrator==

1st Brigade Combat Team during his Army service, pictured in 2013 at Fort Polk. The assailant, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar (October 26, 1982 – January 1, 2025), was 42 years old and absent from all federal watchlists. At the time of the attack, he lived in a Houston neighborhood in northern Harris County. Although raised as a Christian, he converted to Islam, and his brother, Abdur Jabbar, said he was a "Muslim for most of his life." Jabbar came from an African American family that predominantly attended the local Baptist church. His father, a convert to Islam born in Houston, changed his surname from Young to Jabbar; his mother remained a Christian. His grandfather moved from Louisiana to Texas as part of a migration of Creoles of color to the Beaumont area for work. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence while serving at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010. He was honorably discharged at the rank of staff sergeant. receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration in computer information systems. It is unclear exactly what factors influenced Jabbar's radicalization, although investigators said that his views became significantly more extreme after the beginning of the Gaza war in 2023. In videos posted to Facebook between 1:29 and 3:02a.m.—minutes before the truck attack—Jabbar pledged allegiance (''bay'at'') to ISIS. He said he wanted his act to highlight the "war between the believers and the disbelievers" Possible self-radicalization reflects a pattern seen in previous jihadist attacks. == Investigation ==

The FBI is leading the investigation of the attack and has opened a tip line. The bombs were also meant to be detonated with an electric match and consisted of RDX. The FBI described Jabbar's bombs as "crude" and made with a "lack of experience" due to his choice of not using a detonator for his RDX bombs. A handgun and a long gun with a homemade suppressor were also found at the scene. Jabbar posted five videos on his Facebook account between 1:29 a.m. and 3:02 a.m. before initiating his attack at around 3:15 a.m. The FBI said that apparent explosive devices were found elsewhere in the French Quarter; authorities believed those may have been placed by someone other than the driver, The FBI said that Jabbar was "100% inspired by ISIS" and that it was a premeditated act of terrorism. On January 4, the deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division said that investigators "do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved in this attack except Shamsud-Din Jabbar." based on New Orleans police's initial review of surveillance video, in which several people stood near potential explosive devices. A fire broke out the same day of the attack at an Airbnb in the St. Roch neighborhood, which investigators believe Jabbar rented. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that it believes Jabbar attempted to destroy evidence of his crimes by setting a small fire in the hallway of his house, and by placing accelerants in multiple rooms, but that the fire burned itself out before spreading and reaching accelerants in the house. The New Orleans Fire Department extinguished the fire preventing significant damage to the building and allowing investigators to seize explosive making materials and other evidence left behind by Jabbar. The perpetrator of the Las Vegas explosion rented it from the Turo app like Jabbar and both reportedly served at the same military base. The FBI stated that there is "no definitive link" between the New Orleans truck attack and the Las Vegas explosion. however, the FBI later stated that no arrests were made there and that they believed Jabbar had acted alone. == Reactions ==

Domestic Then-U.S. President Joe Biden contacted Mayor LaToya Cantrell to offer support Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, and then-president-elect Donald Trump Bill Cassidy, Louisiana's senior U.S. senator, called the attack "so tragic" and offered thanks to responding officers. Louisiana governor Jeff Landry expressed condolences to the victims of the attack and urged people to avoid the area. John Kennedy, Louisiana's junior U.S. senator, described the attacks as "objective evil". Just hours after the incident, Landry posted a photo of himself smiling and giving a thumbs-up with his wife and others outside a steakhouse in the city. He captioned the photo: "Ate dinner tonight in New Orleans. Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See everyone at the game tomorrow!" Social media users criticized Landry's response. In response to the criticism, Landry replied: "It's important to understand that we have many visitors in the city of New Orleans right now. Safety is our top priority, and we want our guests and the world to know that Louisiana does not cower to radical Islamic terrorists. Our restaurants and all that New Orleans has to offer remain open for business!" , Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell at the Bourbon Street memorial, February 3, 2025 Jeff Hundley, the director of the committee that organizes the Sugar Bowl, said the committee was devastated by the terror attack. The New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans released a joint statement paying tribute to the victims and the city's resilience. The Pelicans held a moment of silence before their game on the same day against the Miami Heat. During the Sugar Bowl, a moment of silence was held before kickoff, followed by the crowd chanting "U-S-A!" after the national anthem. A year earlier, a rented Archer barrier had prevented a woman from driving her car into the 2024 Rose Parade. Superintendent Kirkpatrick expressly refused to cast blame when asked by a journalist whether she was upset that she had not known in advance about the city's Archer barriers. Within a few days, unknown persons had scrawled handwritten messages on the Archer barriers, such as "USE ME" and "DO NOT HIDE ME". In the meantime, Peter Whitford, the chief executive officer of Meridian Rapid Defense Group, traveled to New Orleans to assist the city with properly deploying Archer barriers. The NFL and Saints also provided a $1 million donation to help the families of the victims as well as a league-wide moment of silence for all week 18 games. The truck's owner said that the FBI had instructed him not to publicly talk about the matter. The Islamic Society of Greater Houston expressed its condolences to the victims of the attack, saying it was "horrified by the senseless crime targeting civilians" and that "ISGH has a longstanding absolute zero-tolerance policy against extremism and suspicious activities." International Many nations condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the victims, including the governments of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Uruguay, and China. Pope Francis said he was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injuries in the attack and offered prayers to the victims. King Charles III, William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, expressed shock and sadness at the deaths of the 14 victims, especially the death of British citizen Edward Pettifer, who was killed in the attack. Pettifer was the stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who had been the nanny to princes William and Harry in the 1990s. On January 9, the Islamic State, in the 477th issue of its weekly newsletter "Al-Naba", praised the attack and Jabbar himself, calling on other supporters to follow in his footsteps. == Timeline ==

• December 30, 2024 • Jabbar rented a Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck in Houston. • December 31, 2024 • Jabbar purchased one of the coolers that would be used to store one of his IEDs at a store in Texas • Morning: Jabbar began driving east from Houston to Louisiana • 2:30 p.m.: Jabbar arrived in Louisiana • 1:53 a.m.: Jabbar planted the first IED inside of a cooler at Bourbon Street near St. Peter street == See also ==