New Orleans Mourns Victims of Truck Attack
(AP) — New Orleans mourned, wept and danced at a vigil along the famous thoroughfare where a man rammed a pickup truck into a crowd, killing and injuring revelers who were there to celebrate the new year.
A makeshift memorial of crosses and pictures of the 14 deceased victims included candles, flowers and teddy bears. Victims’ relatives held each other, some crying. But as a brass band began playing, the sorrow transformed into a celebration of life as the crowd snapped fingers, swayed and followed the music down Bourbon Street.
The coroner’s office listed the cause of death for all 14 victims as “blunt force injuries.” About 30 other people suffered injuries. University Medical Center New Orleans spokesperson Carolina Giepert said 13 people remained hospitalized, with eight people in intensive care.
The attack early Wednesday was carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a former U.S. Army soldier. Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during a firefight at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.
Jabbar proclaimed his support for the Islamic State militant group in online videos posted hours before he struck. It was the deadliest IS-inspired assault on U.S. soil in years, laying bare what federal officials have warned is a resurgent international terrorism threat.
Jabbar had suspected bomb-making materials at his Houston home, which contained a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices, officials familiar with a search conducted there said.
Authorities found crude bombs in the neighborhood of the attack in an apparent attempt to cause more carnage. Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were rendered safe at the scene. Other devices were determined to be nonfunctional. Jabbar purchased a cooler in Vidor, Texas, hours before the attack and gun oil from a store in Sulphur, Louisiana, investigators said. Investigators searching Jabbar’s rental truck found a transmitter intended to trigger the two bombs, the FBI said in a statement Friday, adding that there were bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home he rented. Jabbar tried to burn down the house by setting a small fire in a hallway with accelerants but the flames burned out before firefighters arrived.
Jabbar exited the crashed truck wearing a ballistic vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before he was fatally shot by police. New Orleans police declined to say Friday how many shots were fired by Jabbar and the officers or whether any bystanders may have been hit, citing the active investigation.
Police have used multiple vehicles and barricades to block traffic at Bourbon and Canal streets since the attack. Other law enforcement agencies helped city officers provide extra security, said Reese Harper, a New Orleans police spokesperson.
The first parade of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras was scheduled to take place Monday. New Orleans also will host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
“This enhanced safety effort will continue daily, not just during large events,” Harper said in a statement. When New Year’s Eve arrived, the bollards were gone. They will be replaced ahead of the Super Bowl, officials said.