At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, FBI spokesperson Aletha Duncan confirmed that the investigation into the deadly attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans is being treated as an act of terrorism.
The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from local law enforcement agencies.
Duncan disclosed that authorities believe the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, did not act alone and that there are other individuals possibly involved in the attack.
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According to Duncan, the attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. when Jabbar, driving an EV Ford F-150, rammed into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street, killing 10 and injuring 35 more.
After hitting the crowd, Jabbar exited the vehicle and opened fire on local law enforcement officers. Police returned fire, and Jabbar was pronounced dead at the scene.
Duncan also confirmed that Jabbar was a U.S. citizen, born and raised in Texas, and was a U.S. Army veteran, though he is believed to have received an honorary discharge.
“An ISIS flag was located on the trailer hitch of the vehicle,” she said, adding that the FBI is investigating Jabbar’s connections to terrorist organizations.
Duncan explained that weapons and potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from the vehicle, and additional IEDs were discovered in the French Quarter.
The FBI spokesperson emphasized that Jabbar’s possible connections to terrorist groups are being thoroughly investigated. “We do not believe that Jabbar is solely responsible,” Duncan said. “We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates. That’s why we need the public’s help.”
She urged anyone who had been in contact with Jabbar in the past 72 hours to come forward with any information to assist in the investigation.
FBI spokesperson Aletha Duncan describes the terror attack in New Orleans and says “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible.” pic.twitter.com/nyMLVZn91n
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The FBI continues to work on determining whether there are further threats and is pursuing all possible leads.
Local law enforcement, along with the FBI, is also focusing on identifying any other potential individuals involved in the planning or execution of the attack.
As the investigation moves forward, the FBI is seeking to understand the full scope of the operation and whether Jabbar had additional assistance in carrying out the attack.
Authorities are treating this incident as an act of terrorism, given the weapons and explosives found at the scene, as well as the ISIS flag discovered on the vehicle.
The FBI is expected to release more details as the investigation progresses.
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