Not a Happy New Year for Many Families

As of New Year's Day night, the scope of the terrorist attack in New Orleans is still evolving. It seems now there have been at least fifteen people killed, with many more seriously injured.

 

Make no mistake. This was no ordinary reveler caught up in a drunken state celebrating hard on New Year’s Eve.

The now-deceased driver, Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, from Houston, had an ISIS flag strapped to the rented Ford F-150 Lightning EV truck which plowed into so many innocent bystanders. He was an American-born US citizen, who was a staff sergeant in the Army, serving in the active Army from 2007 to 2015, before joining the Reserves from 2015 to 2020.

Working as an IT specialist, he was stationed in Afghanistan from February 2009 until January 2010, the service branch said in a summary of military experience.

Presently, the FBI is looking for three or four additional accomplices, including a woman, who they believe were seen planting additional IEDs throughout the city. Thus far, three additional IEDs have been found.

Investigators are still looking to see if this connected to a wider threat internationally.

Meanwhile, the annual Sugar Bowl classic between Georgia and Notre Dame has been postponed during the investigation. It may resume on January 2, provided an all-clear is given.

Coincidentally, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in Las Vegas near the Trump Hotel. Authorities believe fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel were connected to a detonation system controlled by the driver, who has not yet been udentified

The incident is being investigated as a possible terrorist act, according to a law enforcement official who has been briefed on the investigation.

The driver was killed and seven people were injured, police said without naming any of the individuals involved. Officials said all injuries were minor.

Investigators are looking to see if the events were related.