At least 15 people, including the perpetrator, were killed in the early morning
on New Year’s Day in New Orleans when a pickup truck plowed into the crowd on
the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets. The vehicle was flying an ISIS flag,
and the driver has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and
army veteran living in Texas. Jabbar reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS in
videos posted on Facebook prior to the attack. The FBI has confirmed that the
attack was inspired by the terrorist organization, but at this time has ruled
out that there were multiple actors involved. However, details that have
emerged do suggest that the attack required some significant planning,
including truck rental, arms and ammunition and body armor purchases, and
explosives construction. Jabbar built at least two IEDs which were planted in
coolers at the scene and later safely detonated by authorities.
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CounterPoint Brief: Terror Attack In New Orleans
(New York, N.Y.) — At least 15 people, including the perpetrator, were killed
in the early morning on New Year’s Day in New Orleans when a pickup truck
plowed into the crowd on the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets. The vehicle
was flying an ISIS flag, and the driver has been identified as Shamsud-Din
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and army veteran living in Texas. Jabbar reportedly
pledged allegiance to ISIS in videos posted on Facebook prior to the attack.
The FBI has confirmed that the attack was inspired by the terrorist
organization, but at this time has ruled out that there were multiple actors
involved. However, details that have emerged do suggest that the attack
required some significant planning, including truck rental, arms and ammunition
and body armor purchases, and explosives construction. Jabbar built at least
two IEDs which were planted in coolers at the scene and later safely detonated
by authorities.
Expert Analysis:
CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler:
“Attacks like this are a prime example of the destructive role that social
media can play in facilitating ideologically-inspired violence. For years ISIS
has been calling for attacks just like this one: inspiring individual actors
and small cells without having to incur any cost or risk. This attack in
particular echoes ISIS’ online propaganda, even down to the details of the
flag’s placement on the truck, which mirrors a widely-circulated photo that
accompanied an ISIS propaganda message from 2017 in which the terror group took
responsibility for a vehicular attack in London.
Attacks like this have increased to a worrying degree in recent years. As ISIS
gains physical ground in Africa especially, we are seeing more and more of
their influence spread in the form of attacks in major Western cities, while at
the same time, social media corporations have increasingly demonstrated not
only negligence but outright indifference to the harm their services cause to
society.”
CEP Researcher Joshua Fisher-Birch:
“The New Orleans New Year’s Eve truck attack, committed by an individual who
supported ISIS, follows advice for attacks previously released by the terrorist
group. ISIS publications and propaganda spread online have advocated attacking
outdoor celebrations with rented vehicles, using firearms, and announcing one’s
support for the terrorist group while committing the assault.
Online ISIS supporters, while advising waiting for an official ISIS claim of
responsibility, praised the attack, especially that 2025 began with a ‘bang,’
spread publicly available news footage, and even noted that the attacker
appeared to have followed ISIS’s advice for committing vehicular attacks.”
CEP Resources:
To read CEP’s report on ISIS, please click here
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To read CEP’s report on Vehicles as Weapons Of Terror, please click here
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