The joyous celebrations of New Year’s Day in New Orleans were shattered when a pickup truck plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was an Army veteran from Texas with a background in real estate and IT, who had reportedly struggled with financial issues in recent years.
According to law enforcement, Jabbar drove a truck into a throng of revelers at approximately 3:15 a.m. on January 1, 2025, in the heart of the French Quarter. The vehicle was later confirmed to be rented, and the attack has been characterized by officials as deliberate and deadly.
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen, served in the Army from 2006 to 2015, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009. After his military service, he held positions in real estate and IT, notably working for Deloitte until the attack. His LinkedIn profile, now removed, indicated a career shift towards civilian roles after his military service. His background also includes minor legal troubles, with charges of misdemeanor theft in 2002 and driving with an invalid license in 2005.
The incident has prompted an immediate response from both local and federal authorities. The FBI has taken over the investigation, treating the attack as an act of terrorism. President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation, and condolences from around the world have started to pour in, including from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who condemned the act as “cowardly.”
