The man who drove a pick-up truck into people celebrating the New Year in New Orleans is believed to have acted alone, according to the FBI – as new information was revealed about the two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered near the scene.

There is also “no definitive link” between the attack and the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, said FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s rented truck rammed into people in New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring dozens, in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

New Orleans attack – follow latest

Mr Raia called the attack “premeditated” and an “evil” act of terrorism, and said Jabbar was “100% inspired by ISIS”, also known as Islamic State.

He also said the FBI was reviewing two laptops and three phones linked to Jabbar, as well as two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered near the scene of the attack.

The two “functional” devices contained nails and were made of galvanized pipe with end caps, and taped inside two coolers, according to Sky News’ US partner NBC News, citing the FBI and two senior US law enforcement officials. Both devices had receivers for remote firing, they said.

It was not immediately clear if Jabbar tried to detonate the devices, or if they malfunctioned, the officials said.

Five videos posted in hours before attack

The 42-year-old army veteran, who was born in the US and lived in Texas, was shot dead after he crashed and opened fire on police.

The FBI said he posted five videos on his Facebook account between 1.29am and 3.02am – with the attack taking place around 3.15am.

In one, he said he planned to harm family and friends but was concerned headlines would not focus on the “war between the believers and disbelievers”.

He also joined Islamic State “before this summer” and provided a will, Mr Raia told reporters.

A black ISIS flag was attached to the back of the white Ford truck used in the attack and was pictured lying next to the vehicle.

Read more:
‘Quiet and smart’ veteran – what we know about suspect
Teenage girl and Princeton grad among first victims named

Authorities said Jabbar drove around police barricades on to the footpath, with witnesses describing carnage as the truck sped down the street, knocking people over.

“You just heard this squeal and the rev of the engine and this huge loud impact and then the people screaming,” said one witness, Kimberly Strickland from Alabama.

Barriers protecting pedestrians had been removed for repairs before the attack, city officials said, and were due to be replaced with a new bollard design.

While the works were taking place, they had been replaced with white gate barriers which were managed by the New Orleans Police Department, according to the City Of New Orleans.

Among the victims named so far are an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother with a four-year-old son, and a graduate of Princeton University.

What we know about Shamsud-Din Jabbar

The FBI also said CCTV showed Jabbar placing the IEDs near the scene. However, none of them went off.

The investigation is expected to look at any support or inspiration he may have drawn from IS or any of its affiliate groups.

The bureau has received more than 400 tips from members of the public and more than 1,000 agents and officers have been working on the case.

Jabbar held human resources and IT roles in the army from 2007 until 2015, and was stationed in Afghanistan for a year. He was then in the reserves until 2020.

Read more:
‘The last conversation we had – he told me he loved me’
Witnesses say carnage after attack ‘like a movie’

A friend described him as “very quiet, very reserved, smart, articulate” and said he had been raised a Christian before converting to Islam a long time ago.

Meanwhile, the Sugar Bowl college American football game went ahead on Thursday afternoon, with a moment of silence beforehand, after being postponed on Wednesday following the attack. The city will also host the Super Bowl next month.

The suspect in the New Orleans truck attack has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar.

The FBI said he was a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas. Talking about himself in a promotional video, Jabbar said he was born and raised in the state.

At least 15 people were killed in the suspected terror attack, which also injured dozens of others.

Latest updates on New Orleans attack

The attack

US army veteran Jabbar is believed to have driven a Ford pick-up truck into a crowd of revellers celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of the southern US city.

Police said he was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did”.

“It was very intentional behaviour. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” said police chief Anne Kirkpatrick.

Superintendent Kirkpatrick said the driver, who swerved around barricades, shot and wounded two police officers from the vehicle after it crashed.

The officers were in stable condition, she added.

Analysis: IS flag link is stark reminder dangerous extremist Islamist ideology never went away

Jabbar died in firefight

Jabbar was killed in a firefight with police following the attack around 3.15am local time (9.15am UK time) on Wednesday.

The bureau said the truck appeared to have been rented.

It also said an ISIS flag, weapons, and a potential improvised explosive device (IED) were found in the vehicle.

Investigators recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle after the shootout, a law enforcement official said.

Read more:
First victims named
What we know so far about atrocity
New Year’s carnage haunts New Orleans – but ‘Big Easy’ has suffered before

Jabbar was army veteran

Jabbar served in the US army on active duty from 2007 to 2015, then in the army reserves from 2015 to 2020.

He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. He was a staff sergeant when he left with an honourable discharge in 2020.

Separately, he tried to enlist in the navy in 2004 but never actually shipped or began training.

A navy spokesperson said: “Our records show that a Shamsuddin Bahar Jabbar enlisted on 12 August 2004, in Navy Recruiting District Houston and was discharged from the Delayed Entry Programme one month later on 13 September 2004.

“He did not go to Recruit Training Command. The DOB matches. Because he did not serve in the navy, there is no additional information to add to the attached biography.”

NBC, Sky News’ US network partner, reported that Jabbar was a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from 2007 to January 2015 in the regular US army.

He was also an IT specialist in the army reserves between 2015 and 2020.

He also attended Georgia State University from 2015 to 2017, and graduated with a BBA in computer information systems, a spokesperson from the university told NBC.

Whilst at the university, Jabbar gave an interview to the student newspaper in which he said he struggled to adjust to civilian life after leaving the military.

Author of the article, Sean Keenan, recalled in The New York Times that Jabbar complained about the complexity of veterans trying to get funding for tuition and other educational benefits and how he found it tricky not to use military jargon at the time of the interview.

‘Quiet, smart, articulate’

A childhood friend said Jabbar’s alleged actions on New Year’s Day don’t align at all with the person he knew growing up in Beaumont, Texas.

“What happened today was a complete 180 of anything I ever knew about him,” Chris Pousson, told NBC.

Referring to him as “Sham”, Mr Pousson said he last spoke with Jabbar sometime in 2017 in 2018.

“He was very quiet, very reserved, smart, articulate,” he said.

He said he first met Jabbar in 1996 at Beaumont Middle School. They became instant friends and later attended the same high school. After graduating, the two lost touch when Jabbar joined the army and Mr Pousson joined the air force.

Several years later they reconnected on Facebook. It was then Mr Pousson noticed Jabbar’s posts focused on his Muslim faith.

“It was always positive – peace be with you, uplifting type of stuff,” Mr Pousson said. “Nothing that he posted online that I saw was negative.

“I didn’t see this coming from a mile away.”

The suspect’s brother, Abdur Jabbar, told The New York Times that they last spoke two weeks ago. He said Jabbar did not mention any desire to go to New Orleans.

The 24-year-old said that they had both been brought up Christian, but his brother had converted to Islam a long time ago.

“As far as I know he was a Muslim for most of his life,” Mr Jabbar said.

“What he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalisation, not religion.”

According to Mr Jabbar, his brother had a six-year-old son and older daughters, The Times reported.

YouTube video

Jabbar is known to have appeared in a promotional video on YouTube in 2020 talking about his real estate business.

In the footage, he said he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He said he served in the military for 10 years as a human resources and IT specialist, learning the importance of great service and taking everything seriously.

“I’ve taken those skills and applied them to my career as a real estate agent, where I feel like what really sets me apart from other agents is my ability to be able to… be a fierce negotiator,” he said, encouraging clients to give him a call.

It is also known Jabbar had been working at professional services giant Deloitte since 2021.

In a statement confirming his employment, the company, which provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and legal services, told NBC it was shocked to learn of its connection to Jabbar.

“Like everyone, we are outraged by this shameful and senseless act of violence and are doing all we can to assist authorities in their investigation,” Deloitte managing director Jonathan Gandal said.

Was Jabbar helped by others?

The FBI initially said it did not believe he was “solely responsible” for Wednesday’s attack, but later ruled out three other potential suspects they were looking into. It is not known if he worked alone or not.

It is investigating the attacker to determine “potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations”.

President Joe Biden said the suspect had expressed a “desire to kill” and had posted a video to social media hours before the attack in which he said he was inspired by the Islamic State group.

Officials are also looking into a “possible military connection” between Jabbar and the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas outside one of Donald Trump’s hotels, according to NBC News reports.

The driver, who has not been identified, was killed in the explosion. Sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News he had previous military experience.

The officials are also looking into the fact both men used the Turo car app to rent the vehicles used in both incidents.

Previous arrests

Jabbar was arrested in Texas in 2002 for theft, classed as a misdemeanour, and he was fined $100 by a court.

He was also arrested in the same state in 2005 for driving with an invalid licence, also classed as a misdemeanour, and was fined $100 by a court.

Twice-married

Civil records show Jabbar was married twice, with his first marriage ending in 2012, NBC reported.

A petition for a second divorce was initiated in 2021.

Public records show that in 2020, Jabbar’s then wife filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against him.

The order stated that both parties should not engage in “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury to the other party or to a child of either party” or “threatening the other party or a child of either party with imminent bodily injury”.

The divorce was finalised in 2022. Jabbar and his ex-wife were granted joint custody of their child.

A woman who identified herself to NBC as Jabbar’s sister-in-law and asked to not be named said relatives in Texas were in shock when they heard the news.

It makes “no sense,” she said. “He’s the nicest person I’ve ever known.”

“I really don’t know what happened,” she added. “He was a good man. He takes care of his children and everything.”

FBI says other possible explosives found

Two other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter and were made safe, the FBI said.

The historic area is known for attracting large crowds with its music and bars.

A teenage girl who aspired to be a nurse and a graduate of Princeton University are among the first victims of the suspected terror attack in New Orleans to be named.

Officials have not yet released the names of the 15 people killed after a man drove a pick-up truck into crowds on New Year’s Day, but some of their loved ones have started sharing their stories.

The suspect has been identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabba, who was born and raised in the US.

The bureau is treating the attack as terrorism after an Islamic State (IS) flag was found on the back of the vehicle Jabba was driving. He was later killed in a shoot-out with police.

Ni’Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux

Ni’Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, 18, died after being struck by the vehicle while celebrating the start of 2025 with her friend Zion Parsons.

Mr Parsons, also 18, has said Ms Dedeaux dreamed of becoming a nurse.

New Orleans latest: Follow live updates

He said: “A truck hit the corner and comes barrelling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air.

“It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive.”

Martin ‘Tiger’ Bech

Martin “Tiger” Bech was on Bourbon Street when the truck hit him, his mother told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.

Michelle Bech added that she was able to say goodbye to her son, who was 27, before he died in hospital.

Mr Bech, a graduate of Princeton University, lived in New York City, where he was a junior bond trader for a Wall Street Company.

His brother Jack posted on X: “Love you always brother ! You inspired me everyday now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family T, don’t worry. This is for us.”

Analysis: IS flag link is stark reminder dangerous extremist Islamist ideology never went away

Head coach of the Princeton Tigers, the team Mr Bech played for, described him as a “tiger in every way”.

“There was no more appropriate nickname of a Princeton player I coached,” Bob Surace said.

“He was a ‘Tiger’ in every way – a ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend. Our last conversation was about how proud I was of the growth he showed during his time at Princeton and the success he was having after graduation.

“My love goes to the entire Bech family.”

Matthew Tenedorio

Matthew Tenedorio, 25, was shot dead by the attacker after he got out of the vehicle and opened fire after ploughing into crowds, his mother said.

Cathy Tenedorio, from Carriere in Mississippi, said she had dinner with her son on New Year’s Eve.

She told Sky News: “Matthew and his friends all decided to go into The Quarter. We tried to talk him out of it.

“They were walking down Bourbon Street at around 3:15am when everything happened right in front of them.

“The truck crashed into a construction lift. The man jumped out and started firing the gun.

“My son was killed instantly… I just hugged and kissed him last night. Told him I loved him. He had so much hope, a great future working at the Super Dome stadium in New Orleans. He had the job of his dreams.”

Nicole Perez

Single mother Nicole Perez was also among those killed in the attack.

Ms Perez, who was in her late 20s, had a four-year-old son.

She had recently been promoted to manager in her job at deli and was “really excited about it”, her employer Kimberly Usher has said.

Ms Perez would bring her son, Melo, to work and teach him basic learning skills during her breaks.

“She was a really good mom,” said Ms Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Ms Perez’s burial costs.

Read more:
What more do we know about suspect?
New Orleans eyewitnesses describe carnage
New Year’s carnage haunts New Orleans – but ‘Big Easy’ has suffered before

Reggie Hunter

Another victim that has been named is father-of-two Reggie Hunter from Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

His cousin, Shirell Jackson, told NBC News the 37-year-old warehouse manager was an “awesome person” and “a little-bitty guy” with a “big heart.”

He had been with another cousin who survived the attack, she said.

Hubert Gauthreaux

Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, was identified as being among those killed in the attack by his former high school.

In a statement, the Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, Louisiana, said: “It is with great sorrow that we share that alum Hubert Gauthreaux, class of 2021, was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter.

“We are asking the entire Archbishop Shaw family to pray for the repose of Hubert’s soul, his family and friends during this difficult time, and all those affected by this tragedy.”

Kareem Badawi

University of Alabama student Kareem Badawi was also one of the victims.

President of the university, Stuart R Bell said in a statement posted on Facebook that he grieves alongside Ms Badawi’s family and friends in their “heartbreaking loss”.

“Our staff have been actively engaged in supportive outreach and the office of student care and wellbeing is available,” he said.

“Please take a moment to pray for those impacted by this tragedy.”