What we know about forward Shamsud-Din Jabbar

Fifteen people were killed and at least 35 injured after a man apparently inspired by the Islamic State group drove into large crowds in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, authorities have said.

Here’s what we know so far about what happened and the perpetrator.

At 3:15 a.m. local time on New Year’s Day, a Ford pick-up that has driven into crowds converges on Bourbon Street in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter.

CCTV footage shows a white Ford F-150 Lightning vehicle pull onto the pavement to get around a police car before hitting pedestrians.

Police described the act as “very deliberate” and added that the attacker – identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar – was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage he did”.

“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” said New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.

Jabbar was also armed and fired at law enforcement, wounding two officers. He was then killed by police gunfire.

Whit Davis, from Shreveport, Louisiana, told the BBC he was held in a bar with a large group in the aftermath of the attack while police secured the scene.

As they left, they “passed by dead and injured bodies all over the street”, he said.

The FBI has named the assailant as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an Army veteran and US citizen from Texas.

A flag associated with the Islamic State (IS) group was found in the vehicle he was driving, and the FBI said it was investigating what links Jabbar may have had with terrorist groups.

In an evening speech, President Joe Biden said the FBI had briefed him on the attack. The suspect uploaded videos to social media “just hours before the attack” indicating he was inspired by IS and expressed a “desire to kill”, Biden said.

Suspected improvised explosive devices were also found in the area.

A long gun with a “suppressive device” on it – which acted as a silencer – was also found.

According to a now-removed LinkedIn profile, Jabbar had worked in various roles in the US Army, including human resources and IT, before being discharged. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.

In a YouTube video posted in 2020, Jabbar said his time in the military had taught him “the meaning of good service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, to dot the i’s and cross the t’s to ensure that things proceed without a hitch”.

He studied at George State University from 2015 to 2017, graduating with a degree in Computer Information Systems.

He was married twice. His first marriage ended in 2012 and his second lasted from 2017 to 2022.

He also appears to have worked in real estate and had a license that expired in 2021. He had a criminal record for traffic violations and theft.

The pick-up he was driving was electric and believed to have been rented in Texas via an app called Turo.

The FBI said they believed the suspect had help in carrying out his attack, particularly in placing suspected explosive devices.

CBS reports that law enforcement has yet to release evidence of those accomplices.

Earlier reports said authorities were reviewing video footage, but CBS reported that the footage had been ruled to show only spectators.

Among the dead is former Princeton University football star Martin “Tiger” Bech, according to the college’s athletic department.

“There was no more fitting nickname for a Princeton player I coached,” head football coach Bob Surace said in a statement.

“He was a ‘Tiger’ in every way – a ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend.”

The University of Georgia’s president said one of its students had been seriously injured, while the Israeli government said two citizens were among the injured.

Police say it appears the victims were mostly New Orleans locals, although many tourists were visiting for New Year’s celebrations and the now-postponed Sugar Bowl, part of the College Football Playoff.

Bourbon Street is a well-known nightlife and tourist hotspot, filled with restaurants, bars and live music clubs.

It’s in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a lively area that attracts tourists and locals, especially to celebrate the New Year.

It was established by the French in 1718 and the original grid of streets designed back then is at the heart of what attracts visitors to the city.

Each year, up to a million people flock to its famous Mardi Gras carnival and parade in the spring, famous for the colorful beads worn by revelers.