The FBI has warned that the deadly New Year’s Day vehicle attack in New Orleans could inspire “copycat or retaliatory attacks” across the United States. The warning follows the New Orleans attack, in which Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran and ISIS sympathiser, ploughed a truck into crowds on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are particularly concerned about the increasing use of vehicle ramming as a tactic by violent extremists, noting that attackers are often inspired by foreign terrorist organisations (FTOs) and may seek to replicate such actions.
The authorities issued the public service announcement, adding the growing threat from “aspiring violent extremist attackers” who have increasingly used vehicles as weapons. These attacks have been carried out with rented, stolen, or personally owned vehicles, which are easy to acquire, and may be accompanied by firearms, knives, or even improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Targets have typically included pedestrians, law enforcement officers, and crowded public venues, which are easily accessible from roadways. “We ask that the public remain vigilant regarding possible copycat or retaliatory attacks and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement,” the FBI urged.
Jabbar’s attack in New Orleans unfolded in the early hours of January 1, when he drove a rented F-150 truck onto the pavement around a police blockade at Bourbon Street’s entrance, striking numerous people celebrating New Year’s. After exchanging gunfire with police, Jabbar was fatally shot at the scene. His vehicle was found to contain bomb-making materials, and authorities discovered that he had planted two IEDs, one of which was moved by an unsuspecting passerby before it could detonate.
The FBI confirmed that Jabbar had pledged allegiance to ISIS shortly before the attack, posting videos online in which he declared his intention to wage war against “non-believers.”
In the months leading up to the attack, Jabbar conducted detailed surveillance in New Orleans, using Meta smart glasses to record videos of the French Quarter and identify key targets. The FBI believes he was planning the attack for several months, even making purchases for bomb-making materials in Texas before arriving in Louisiana.
