Truck Driver Kills 15 in Bourbon Street New Year Massacre

A truck driver murdered 15 and injured more than 30 more by ramming his vehicle into early morning crowds celebrating new year’s on Bourbon Street, New Orleans in the city’s famed French Quarter. The man was later killed in a shootout with police. Authorities have called the attack an “act of terrorism” and said they found guns and improvised explosive devices at the scene.

The FBI is investigating the “mass casualty incident,” which New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell has described as a “terrorist attack.”

On Wednesday afternoon, the agency identified 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar as the driver. Jabbar, a US citizen and army veteran, had flown an ISIS flag from the truck he used in the attack; his links to terror organizations are also being probed, as the FBI also seeks to identify any potential accomplices.

The city’s police superintendent, Anne Kirkpatrick, earlier in the day addressed the “intentional” attack at the press conference, and said that Jabbar ”was hellbent on creating the carnage and damage that he did." Kirkpatrick added that the driver opened fire as he exited his vehicle, and shot two police officers. These officers are each believed to be in a stable condition.

“A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wrote on X. “Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders.”

Witnesses to the incident earlier told a CBS News reporter they saw the truck drive through a barricade on Bourbon Street and Canal Street “at a high rate of speed.” Some also reported hearing gunshots—and seeing the vehicle’s driver exchanging fire with police officers arriving at the scene.

Grisly footage shared on social media showed the attack’s aftermath, with bloodied bodies left motionless in the street. “It was just unimaginable casualty,” eyewitness Jimmy Cothran told CNN. “I mean, just the disfigurement and the bodies strewn, something you can’t unsee. You’ll never forget.”

This is a breaking story and will be updated with more details.