In the early morning of New Year’s Day, a terrorist attack took place on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The subject drove a pickup truck into a crowd of people, injuring 37 people and killing 14. Upon stopping, he exited his truck and fired at local law enforcement. He was shot dead at the scene.
The subject was identified as a 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar. He was born and raised in Texas, was an army veteran, and worked in IT. Jabbar was a Muslim and displayed an Islamic State flag on his pickup truck, leading authorities to question the motives behind the attack.
Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, said that Jabbar posted videos on Facebook discussing his plans for the attack. In one of his videos, Jabbar stated that he had joined ISIS before the summer of 2024. He also mentioned planning to gather his family for a “celebration” with the intention of killing them. He later said he changed his plans because he wanted the headlines to focus on the “war between the believers and the disbelievers.”
Raia also commented, “What happened here in New Orleans was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act.”
“He was very well-tempered, slow to anger,” Jabbar’s younger brother Abdur said in an interview. “That’s why it was so unbelievable that he would be capable of something like this.”
A detonation device was also found in Jabbar’s car, which the FBI said would have set off two homemade bombs placed further down Bourbon Street. Surveillance footage shows Jabbar planting both devices where they were later found.
In the aftermath of the attack, the city of New Orleans plans to protect its upcoming Mardi Gra parade with mobile 700-pound steel barriers. These barriers are designed to prevent intentional vehicle ramming. According to the manufacturer of these protectors, they were not deployed during the attack in January. The families of the victims feel that they were inadequately protected by the city on New Years. The barriers are a great way to prevent further incidents like this in New Orleans, or in any city.
Security was also increased for the Super Bowl, with approximately 2,000 law enforcement officers in attendance for the game. “We’re going above and beyond what we’ve seen in the past when we’ve hosted previously,” said LaToya Cantrell, the mayor of New Orleans. President Trump’s presence at the game also required an extra level of security. Various federal agencies positioned rooftop snipers and armored SWAT vehicles around the stadium.
As terrorism and mass shootings remain a problem in America, increasing safety measures at public events including the Super Bowl and the 2025 Mardi Gra parade in New Orleans can make a huge difference in preventing a repeat of the New Year’s attacks.
“They should’ve protected people better than this,” said Emile “Luui” Graham, a victim of the attacks. Emile’s father also shared his thoughts. “Nobody deserved to die like that. These people are all burying their children. These people [were] all young.”