The death toll from the devastating New Orleans ‘’act of terrorism’’ has surged to at least 15 after a car rammed into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, as per CNN. As per the latest update, authorities are still investigating and trying to interlink the details of the attack.
New Orleans Coroner Dwight McKenna has confirmed the casualties and stated, ‘’As of now, 15 people have been killed. It will take several days to conduct all autopsies. Once we conclude the autopsies and speak to the next of kin, we will announce the identity of the victims.’’ The New Orleans Police Department is also coordinating closely with the FBI and Homeland Security to probe the attack.
The FBI termed the incident ‘’an act of terrorism’’, disclosing that the suspect, Shamsud Din Jabbar, had an ISIS flag. The vehicle is expected to have explosive devices, and it was rented through Turo, a car rental platform. Jabbar may have not conducted this act all alone, as per officials.
Who is Shamsud Din Jabbar?
Jabbar has been identified as a US citizen from Texas and is a former US military member. He was killed while engaging with the law enforcement. The assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans office appealed to the public during a press conference to share any kind of interactions with Jabbar in the last 72 hours. ‘’We are aggressively following all the leads and anyone with pictures, information or videos can contact us, ‘’ she added.
As per the report, authorities are currently verifying Jabbar’s possible link with terrorist organisations. The presence of the ISIS flag in his vehicle’s trailer hitch is considered as the cornerstone of the investigation. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the FBI has confirmed its involvement as the leading investigative agency and reasserted its commitment to unearth all the details related to this tragedy.
(With inputs from ANI)
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