New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans turned tragic early Wednesday after a terrorist mowed down revelers on the city’s iconic Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 and injuring dozens of others, officials said.
After ramming into the crowd, driver Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was shot dead during a gunfight with cops that left two officers injured.
He drove an EV pickup truck — which displayed a black ISIS flag on the back — through the barricades on the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets. The FBI has yet to confirm his possible connections or affiliations with ISIS.
At least three improvised pipe bombs were found nearby in the city’s famed French Quarter, including one in Jabbar’s truck. Two were homemade with nails hidden in blue coolers, sources told The Post.
President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday ripped the US as a "disaster" and global "laughing stock" in the wake of the deadly New Orleans terror attack and Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside his Las Vegas hotel. Getty Images
In a fiery social media post, Trump blasted the country’s “weak” leadership for failing to protect Americans from “violent scum” — just hours after authorities revealed they were probing the two New Year’s Day incidents as terror-related.
“Our country is a disaster, a laughing stock [sic] all over the world,” the 78-year-old raged on his Truth Social platform.
Josh Hart spent two and a half seasons with the Pelicans, and the outspoken Knicks guard expressed sadness following the fatal attack early New Year’s Day in New Orleans.
At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd along Bourbon Street in the French Quarter before being killed in a firefight with police.
Josh Hart spent over two seasons with the Pelicans. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“Obviously, our hearts and prayers go out to the people there that were affected,” Hart said before Wednesday’s 119-103 win over the Jazz at the Garden. “I loved my time in New Orleans. Bourbon Street, spent my fair share of time on Bourbon Street. So your heart goes out to everyone there, and your prayers goes out to everyone there.
“New Orleans always has had a special spot in my heart. It’s just tragic what happened.”
Pelicans coach Willie Green wasn’t aware of the tragic events that were unfolding in New Orleans until his dad texted him on Wednesday morning to wish him a happy New Year.
Pelicans coach Willie Green wasn’t aware of the tragic events that were unfolding in New Orleans until his dad texted him on Wednesday morning to wish him a happy New Year. Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
“I got a text from my dad this morning and he was wishing me a happy new year, but saying he was praying for all the people in New Orleans. I didn’t know what he was talking about at the time,” Green told reporters ahead of the Pelicans’ loss to the Heat on Wednesday. “And then I read the news and saw what was going on.”
Green said he was “devastated” after hearing the news and said the hearts of the team went out to the families impacted by the tragedy.
Malik Nabers spoke softly, the sadness in his voice impossible to miss.
The New Year’s tragedy in New Orleans that reawakened yet again the evil that lives among us and forced us to come to grips with another death toll and casualty count weighed heavily on the prized Giants rookie on Wednesday. He grew up in Youngsville, La., two-plus hours away from Bourbon Street, and made himself the sixth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft at LSU. He calls Louisiana his home state.
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) scores on a touchdown reception during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
“I seen they had a video, but I’m not gonna watch the video, but my heart goes out to those people that got injured, my heart goes out to the family that people have got killed,” Nabers told The Post, “but it’s sad that it happened in my home state. My prayers and condolences to the families.”
Nabers learned about the attack after Wednesday’s practice from senior director of football communications Dion Dargin.
The brother of the terrorist who launched the deadly car attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans says that “radicalization” is to blame for his kin’s rampage.
Abdur Jabbar, 24, of Beaumont, Texas, told the New York Times that his brother Shamsud-Din Jabbar — who killed at least 15 people in the New Year’s Day attack — converted to Islam at an early age.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar killed 15 people in the Bourbon Street attack. via REUTERS
The younger Jabbar told the newspaper that what his brother “did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalization, not religion.”
Abdur described his brother, who was killed by police after mowing down innocent revelers, as “a sweetheart really, a nice guy, a friend, really smart, caring,” according to the Times.
A neighbor of a New Orleans Airbnb believed to have been used by Shamsud-Din Jabbar said her home surveillance camera captured the terrorist's rented pickup truck leaving the block hours before the deadly Bourbon Street attack.
The woman, who identified herself as Shay, told The Post she saw the truck on Tuesday and her surveillance footage shows the vehicle's lights turn on at around 12:25 a.m. on New Year's Day.
“I saw the truck parked outside the house earlier [Tuesday],” Shay said.
“Never saw the flag,” she said of the ISIS pennant which was flying from the back of the Ford F-150 Lightning when Jabbar carried out the heinous rampage. "There was none of that. I just recognized the Texas plate and the type of car."
“I’m always paying attention to who is staying next door so I know for sure it was his truck,” she emphasized to The Post.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar had an ISIS flag on his truck. Obtained by the NY Post
Shay said she was evacuated from her home at 7 a.m. Wednesday and wasn't permitted to return until 12 hours later.
Larkin McBride, 22, another neighbor, got home at 3 a.m. Wednesday to a chaotic scene playing out on her block.
“Early this morning there was a bunch of fire trucks on this block and then by the time I woke up there was FBI, police and bomb squads,” she told The Post. “They had this area shut down all day.”
McBride said it smelled like burned plastic in the neighborhood when she got home, but speculated that it could have just been caused by fireworks.
Bomb-making materials were found in the Airbnb, sources have told WVUE.
A small fire broke out at the property at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, though the cause of the blaze remains unclear.
Two more victims were identified in the deadly terror attack in New Orleans that killed 15 revelers ringing in the New Year on the city's iconic Bourbon Street.
Family members and Archbishop of Shaw High School in Marrero, La., confirmed 21-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux died after terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar rammed his truck into the bustling crowd Wednesday morning.
“It is with great sorrow that we share that alum Hubert Gauthreaux, Class of 2021, was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter,” the school posted.
“We are asking the entire Archbishop Shaw family to pray for the repose of Hubert’s soul, his family and friends during this difficult time, and all those affected by this tragedy.”
Hubert Gauthreaux was among the 15 people killed during the heinous attack. Archbishop Shaw High School Facebook
His family shared on social media that Gauthreaux was found at United Medical Center in New Orleans after initially posting that he was missing.
Matthew Tenedorio, a graduate of Pearl River Central High School in Mississippi, was also confirmed dead, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family.
The 25-year-old was an audiovisual technician for the Superdome, who played a “crucial role” in creating memorable experiences for countless fans and event-goers, his family said, adding that their lives are now “shattered.”
“Matthew was a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend whose laid-back spirit and infectious laughter brought joy to everyone around him,” the fundraising page said.
“A proud graduate of Pearl River Central High School, he made lasting memories and friendships during his time there. Matthew was always the one to lighten the mood, able to laugh off life’s challenges and spread positivity wherever he went.”
The University of Georgia was scheduled to play Notre Dame on Wednesday night in the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game has since been postponed to Thursday.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill touted the state's death penalty policy — hinting that her office will pursue it if any other suspects are identified in the Bourbon Street attack.
"In Louisiana we have the death penalty and we will carry it out!" Murrill wrote on X.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar killed 15 people in the Bourbon Street attack before he was shot dead by cops. via REUTERS
The main suspect in the New Year's rampage, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texan, was confirmed dead after an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement, according to the FBI.
However, investigators have indicated that he might not have acted alone.
As New Orleans and the Bourbon Street victim families reel from the deadly New Year's attack, Gov. Jeff Landry dined at a prime rib restaurant in NOLA, seeking to promote confidence in the city.
"Ate dinner tonight in New Orleans. Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See everyone at the game tomorrow!" the Republcian wrote on X alongside an image of those who joined him.
Officials had delayed the Sugar Bowl until Thursday as a precaution, but Landry has encouraged locals not to be afraid in light of the attack, which the feds are investigating as an act of terrorism.
Ate dinner tonight in New Orleans. Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See everyone at the game tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/JhEJDb5E9P
"The only way to really protect people from evil is to crush it," he told Fox News, noting that officials are beefing up security, including by expanding road closures in advance of the game.
"I feel very good about the direction that this investigation is going. I appreciate the FBI and the resources that they are sending us and we feel confident that we can put the game on tomorrow and get the city back up and running."
The deadly New Orleans terror attack and the Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year’s Day have at least one connection — the car-sharing app Turo.
Turo was used to book rental vehicles used in separate attacks on Wednesday. TURO
While officials have indicated that they have no evidence so far that the two incidents may be linked, investigators have determined the pickup truck used by a terrorist on Bourbon Street and the exploding Tesla truck were both procured using Turo.
Turo is a platform that allows users to rent vehicles from trusted hosts that are registered with the site.
Two 19-year-old students from Florida are in critical condition after a terrorist barreled down crowded Bourbon Street in New Orleans early New Year's Day.
Elle Eisele and Steele Idelson were among dozens of revelers injured in the terror attack that killed at least 15 people in the French Quarter. Both are being treated at University Medical Center in New Orleans, the Canterbury School in Fort Myers confirmed, according to the News-Press.
The teen victims graduated from the boarding school in 2023, with Eisele now a student at the University of Georgia and Idelson attending San Diego State University.
Elle Eisele was one of the Florida students critically injured during the New Orleans terrorist attack. Canterbury School of Fort Myers
Steele Idelson was also injured. Canterbury School of Fort Myers
“The Isele and Idelson families are deeply grateful for the outpouring of thoughts, prayers, and offers of support for our daughters following the tragic attack in New Orleans,” Canterbury said in a statement on behalf of the families, the outlet reported.
“We are especially thankful for the exceptional care and compassion they are receiving at University Medical Center. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the first responders, whose swift actions may have saved our daughters’ lives.
"To everyone who has reached out with love and support, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Officials from the University of Georgia shared on X Wednesday afternoon that a UGA student was critically injured in the attack but did not identify their name.
“I am deeply saddened by the devastating attack in New Orleans overnight, and I extend my sincere condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this terrible tragedy,” president Jere W. Morehead wrote.
“At this point, we have learned that a University of Georgia student was critically injured in the attack and is receiving medical treatment. I have spoken to the student’s family and shared my concern, support and well wishes on behalf of the entire UGA community.”
Georgia was scheduled to play Notre Dame on Wednesday night in the Sugar Bowl but the game was postponed to Thursday.
Incoming first lady Melania Trump denounced the terror attack in New Orleans and called for greater efforts to move toward a brighter future.
"The incidents of violence that have impacted our communities are deeply concerning. The brutality must stop," Trump implored on X.
Incoming first lady Melania Trump denounced the terror attack in New Orleans and called for greater efforts to move toward a brighter future. Getty Images
"My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the families who are experiencing such profound grief and loss. Let us strive for a future where peace prevails."
Earlier today, her husband, President-elect Donald Trump, slammed the tragedy as an "act of pure evil."
Terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, mowed down 15 people and injured dozens of others celebrating New Year's Eve in the Big Easy. He was shot dead after a shootout with cops.
