The 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar is, according to senior officials of the security forces, the perpetrator of the massacre with 15 dead and dozens injured in New Orleansas reported by the American network NBC News. This is an American citizen from Texas, a veteran of the army, who rented the white van over the Internet, from the Turo site.

The photo of the perpetrator:

According to sources from the FBI, an investigation has already begun into possible connection of the perpetrator with terrorist groups outside the US and especially with ISIS, while the possibility of connection with far-right pockets in Texas was being considered, before the identification of the perpetrator. A possibility, however, that seems to be removed in the current phase of the investigations.

However, the FBI seems inclined to conclude that the perpetrator did not act alone.

American media are reporting that, according to reports, Shamsud Din Jabbar had his flag ISIS inside the white van, which he used to carry out the bloody attack.

Earlier, the US President-elect, Donald Trumpapparently prompted by a briefing from his staff, linked the New Orleans attack to illegal immigrants, reiterating his position on “imported criminals,” who, he said, “are worse than domestics.” .

The white attack truck

The assailant caused the carnage in New Orleans with a white van, who was neutralized in a shootout with police a few minutes after the attack he unleashed on the crowd, while his possible connection with ISIS is being investigated, according to reports in American media.

The shooter used a white Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck, which stopped in front of Rick’s Cabaret on Bourbon Street. At this point, the assailant was neutralized by the police.

The FBI has confirmed that this is an act of terrorism and the investigation is now turning to the perpetrator’s possible connections with international terrorist groups, with attention turning mainly to the Islamic State (ISIS).

In his statement, US President Joe Biden gave the go-ahead for the maximum possible federal force in the investigation of the attack, while considering the possibility that there were partners, either in the field or at the support level.

New Orleans

The terrorist attack in New Orleans

“We know that the city of New Orleans has been affected by terrorist attack” the city’s mayor, LaToya Cantrell, said earlier in the first official statements after the incident in which a van plowed into a crowd at Bourbon and Canal streets in New Orleans’ French Quarter at 3:15 a.m. local time, resulting in 15 people lost their lives and dozens were injured.

Among the wounded there are also two police officers who are hospitalized in stable condition.

For her part, inspector Anne Kirkpatrick said in her statements that the man was driving the van at high speed. He further claimed that the man displayed “very deliberate behaviour” and was “trying to hit as many people as he could”.

The attack in the French Quarter happened hours before the city was to host the college football game Sugar Bowl, who attracts hordes of fans from all over the country.

Regarding the injured, there is not much information about their state of health, however, they have been transferred to 5 different hospitals.

“We have information to some extent about the demographics of those who are in hospital at the moment,” the police inspector said. “We don’t know at this point how many could be tourists and how many are dipis, but from the information I have right now, it looks like the majority are locals.”

According to initial reports, the driver crashed into the crowd, he then got out of the vehicle and started shooting.

Videos circulating on social media show the chaos at the scene and show many victims lying on the ground. Gunshots are heard in the background and people are seen running from the area. Crowds had gathered in the area to watch an open-air concert and countdown to the New Year, with restaurants offering special deals and performances, according to the city’s official website.

The incident occurred hours before New Orleans hosted the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night. The annual college football game draws fans from all over the country. This year’s Sugar Bowl will feature the University of Georgia and the University of Notre Dame, with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the fatal incident a “horrific act of violence” and asked for prayers for the victims and first responders in a post on X.