Pic/ PTI
The death toll from what the FBI has termed an "act of terrorism" in New Orleans has risen to at least 15, as per official reports. The attack occurred on Bourbon Street in the early hours of Wednesday when a car rammed into a crowd, leaving dozens injured.
New Orleans Coroner Dwight McKenna confirmed the rising toll, stating, "As of now, 15 people are deceased. It will take several days to perform all autopsies. Once we complete the autopsies and notify the next of kin, we will release the identifications of the victims."
The New Orleans Police Department is collaborating with the FBI and Homeland Security to investigate the incident, ANI reports. Preliminary findings reveal that the attacker, identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, carried an ISIS flag and was in possession of multiple suspected explosive devices.
According to ANI, the FBI is treating the incident as an act of terrorism. They disclosed that Jabbar, a US citizen from Texas and a former member of the US military, rented the vehicle used in the attack through the car-sharing platform Turo.
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Alethea Duncan, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's New Orleans field office, stated during a news conference, "The investigation is aggressively running down every lead, including those concerning Jabbar's known associates." Duncan appealed to the public for assistance, urging anyone who interacted with Jabbar in the past 72 hours to contact the FBI.
"Anyone with information, videos, or pictures related to the incident is encouraged to share them with the FBI," Duncan added. The FBI is also working to uncover any potential associations between Jabbar and terrorist organisations, ANI reports.
Jabbar's actions have raised concerns about his motivations and potential links to extremist groups. The FBI revealed that an ISIS flag was attached to the trailer hitch of the vehicle used in the attack. While authorities continue to piece together Jabbar's background, they emphasise that he may not have acted alone.
In a statement posted on X, the FBI confirmed, "This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism."
(With inputs from ANI)
