2 weeks Ago
Topline At least 10 people were killed on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street early Wednesday after a driver who allegedly had an ISIS flag—identified by police as Shamsud-Din Jabbar—rammed a truck into a crowd in the popular tourist district during New Year’s celebrations, leading organizers of the Sugar Bowl to postpone the New Orleans-based college football game for 24 hours. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here .
Will The Sugar Bowl Be Affected? The Sugar Bowl college football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Notre Dame was scheduled to take place Wednesday evening, but CEO Jeff Hundley said the game will be postponed until Thursday. He said at a press conference postponing the annual event—part of this year’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals—is “in the best interest of everybody and public safety.” The event is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans from across the country.
Kirkpatrick said earlier Wednesday police will “make sure our routes and the Superdome are safe today for the game,” and urged visitors to “continue enjoying” the city, but stay away from Bourbon Street. What Else Do We Know About The Attack? New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the man drove his truck into the crowd at around 3:15 a.m.
on New Year’s Day. After the crash, the man fired at police officers responding to the scene, police say. Two officers were shot by the attacker, but are in stable condition.
Kirkpatrick said the perpetrator acted intentionally and “went around our barricades in order to conduct this.” She added: “He was hell bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.” What Do We Know About The Victims? An unidentified University of Georgia student was critically injured in New Orleans and is getting medical treatment, the school’s president Jere Morehead said in a statement .
Two Israeli citizens were also injured, the country’s foreign ministry told CNN and The New York Times. Which Federal Agencies Are Involved In The Investigation? The FBI is the lead investigative agency probing the incident. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), prosecutors from the Justice Department’s National Security Division and the local federal prosecutor’s office are also assisting with the investigation.
The Department of Homeland Security is also coordinating with federal and local agencies on the matter, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said . How Does The Fbi Define A Terrorist Incident? In the hours following the attack, the was some initial confusion about whether law enforcement was investigating it as a terrorist incident, as the New Orleans mayor and an FBI special agent gave contradicting answers. Mayor LaToya Cantrel immediately called it a terrorist attack, while the FBI’s Alethea Duncan said, “this is not a terrorist event.
” However, in a follow-up statement the FBI confirmed that the attack was being probed “as an act of terrorism.” The initial difference is likely due to the FBI having specific criteria for labeling an incident as an “act of terrorism.” The agency defines international terrorism as “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations.
” Domestic terrorism involves similar acts committed by “individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.” On its website , the agency notes that it is “bound by guidelines issued by the attorney general that establish a consistent policy” on when a terror investigation may be initiated. The FBI says its counterterrorism investigations “focus on the unlawful activity of the group, not the ideological orientation of its members.
” Crucial Quote In a statement on X, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote : “A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning..
.I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.” Tangent President Joe Biden called Cantrell in the morning “to offer full federal support following the horrific news that a driver killed and injured dozens of individuals in New Orleans overnight,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden—who is set to travel from his Delaware home to Camp David on Wednesday—has been briefed on the matter by senior FBI and DHS leadership and his homeland security team, and will receive further briefings through the rest of the day, the statement added. In a post on his Truth Social Platform, President-elect Donald Trump expressed condolences and said his administration will fully support the city “as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!” Trump also attacked Democrats on the issue of crime, saying: “When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true.” This is a developing story.
.
