New Orleans Massacre: Suspect With GA Ties Acted Alone In Killing 14

Updated 12:51 p.m.

NEW ORLEANS, LA — The man accused of driving a rented pickup truck through a New Orleans crowd, killing 14 people and injuring at least 35 others on New Year's Day in a premeditated attack on the French Quarter, proclaimed his support to ISIS online, federal agents said Thursday.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, who lived and studied in Georgia, proclaimed his support in several social media videos. Five videos between around 1:30 a.m. and 3 a.m. were shared online, Raia said.

Jabbar once lived in Georgia and graduated from Georgia State University, per a Fox 5 Atlanta report.

A University of Georgia student was among those who were critically injured in the attack, UGA President Jere W. Morehead said in a statement. Morehead said he spoke to the student's family.

"I would like to express my gratitude to all the first responders who moved so quickly to help those affected by this senseless act of violence, as well as to the medical personnel who are caring for the injured," Morehead said. "As we continue to hold the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers, the university will do everything in its power to support those in our community who have been impacted by this unspeakable event."

Large crowds gathered in the city ahead of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl that had been scheduled for later Wednesday at the nearby Superdome. The game between the University of Georgia and Notre Dame was postponed until Thursday afternoon following the attack.

What Happened?

Jabbar drove a Ford F-150 pickup truck through a Bourbon Street crowd before leaving the vehicle to shoot at officers around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday.

New Orleans Police said the truck crashed before gunfire was exchanged. Officers returned fire, and Jabbar was pronounced dead at the scene, FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said at a news conference.

The FBI said at a news conference Thursday that 14 people were killed. Two officers were injured in what authorities called an act of terrorism, Duncan said. New Orleans Police said the officers were in stable condition.

After initially believing more than one suspect was involved, Raia on Thursday said Jabbar acted alone.

"This is not just an act of terrorism," New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said at Wednesday's news conference. "This is evil."

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New Details

Raia said Jabbar picked up the truck rental Monday in Houston, Texas, and drove to New Orleans on Tuesday evening.

In his first social media video, Jabbar was accused of threatening to hurt his family and friends but was concerned "the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers,'" Raia said.

Jabbar was also suspected of becoming a member of ISIS, an Islamic terrorist group, before the summer of 2024.

An ISIS flag was found in the pickup truck, the FBI previously said. Raia said Jabbar proclaimed support for ISIS in videos while en route to New Orleans.

Two improvised explosive devices were located in coolers: one at the intersection of Bourbon and Orleans Streets and another at a nearby intersection, Raia said. IEDs are homemade bombs or destructive devices used "to destroy, incapacitate, harass or distract," according to Homeland Security officials.

Surveillance videos show Jabbar placing the items, Raia said.

Authorities are exploring three recovered phones they say were linked to Jabbar to determine any leads during their investigation. Raia added authorities are also looking through two laptops.

Who Was Shamsud-Din Jabbar?

While authorities solely identified Jabbar as a Texas resident, a Fox 5 Atlanta report revealed he attended Georgia State University from 2015 to 2017. He received a bachelor's degree in computer information systems.

He had served in the Army for eight years, deployed to Afghanistan, and then served in the Army Reserve until 2020, military officials said on Wednesday.

A New York Times journalist who interviewed the suspect 10 years ago for a Georgia State University newspaper story on veterans told CNN that Jabbar spoke about his struggles to adjust to civilian life as a student after leaving the military.

Sean Keenan, an Atlanta-based journalist and freelance contributor for the New York Times, said Jabbar had a “pretty reserved demeanor” and was “a little bit distant” — “in the way you sometimes see from veterans that have had difficult deployments,” The New York Post reported.

He divorced in May 2016 in DeKalb County after being married for nearly three years, living in Clarkston at the time, Fox 5 reported. Jabbar was also the landlord of a Marietta property he sold at Horseshoe Creek Drive, the news outlet reported.

New Orleans Attack and Its Georgia Impacts

The FBI said they were executing search warrants in Louisiana and other states in connection with the attack on Bourbon Street.

The tragic incident occurred the day the Georgia Bulldogs (No. 2) were set to take on the Notre Dame Leprechauns (No. 7) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals Wednesday at Caeser's Superdome. The game was moved to 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. EST) Thursday.

"The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from this (Wednesday) morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," the committee tweeted.

All who traveled to New Orleans with UGA’s Redcoat Marching Band were accounted for, the UGA Athletic Association told the AJC.

The devastation forced Atlanta Police to ramp up police presence in downtown and Midtown Atlanta amid the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, during which the Texas Longhorns defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils 39-31.

New Orleans Police encouraged anyone who is aiming to connect with family members or loved ones believed to have been in the area during the attack to call 311 and not 911.

The FBI asked anyone with information, photos or video of the incident to call agents at (1) 800- 225-5324 or visit its Bourbon Street Attack tip line.

After news of the attack broke Wednesday, President Joe Biden released the following statement:

"I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury. I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind.

I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities."