Former D.C. homicide detective Ted Williams explains the latest updates on the New Orleans attack, the suspect’s inspiration from ISIS and how the investigation can impact other police departments and law enforcement.
Ford CEO Jim Farley reacted Wednesday to the terror attack in New Orleans.
The terror attack occurred early Wednesday morning in New Orleans, where the FBI said suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar hurtled a rented white Ford pickup truck down the city’s famous Bourbon Street amid New Year’s festivities. It left 14 people dead and several dozen others injured.
“New Orleans…we are deeply saddened by this violent attack,” the Ford CEO wrote on X. “Our hearts go out to the victims and injured, their families and the emergency responders.”
Ford “is, and will continue to work in full cooperation with authorities,” Farley said.
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FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said Thursday that Jabbar “picked up the rented F-150 in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 30” before traveling to New Orleans.
A police officer patrols the French Quarter in New Orleans on Thursday after an attack by a man driving a truck down Bourbon Street occurred on Wednesday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The rental of the vehicle was arranged through Turo’s platform.
Meanwhile, a Tesla Cybertruck that was loaded with gasoline canisters and firework mortars exploded the same day in Las Vegas. It was also rented via the platform.
A Turo spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News that the peer-to-peer car-sharing company was “heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas.”
“We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents. We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and safety technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals,” the Turo spokesperson said.
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Raia said Thursday that “at this point there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas,” noting that it was “very early” in the investigation.
Police checkpoints are seen on and around Bourbon Street in New Orleans after a vehicle plowed into a crowd on Wednesday. (Patt Little/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, died on Bourbon Street after exchanging fire with police, according to the FBI. The agency said an ISIS flag, weapons and a potential IED were discovered in his rented truck after the attack.
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Raia said the Bourbon Street suspect had “posted several videos to an online platform proclaiming his support for ISIS” while on his way to New Orleans.
Margaret Kerkman contributed to this report.
