Driver plows into New Orleans New Year’s revelers, killing 10; The FBI does not believe he acted alone

NEW ORLEANS — A driver caused carnage in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day when he drove around a police roadblock and drove his pickup truck into a crowd before being shot and killed by police, authorities said. This led to the postponement of a college football playoff game in the city by one day.

More than 30 people were injured when the attack around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday turned a festive Bourbon Street into terrifying chaos and caused a college football playoff game that drew tens of thousands of fans to the city to be postponed for a day.

The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and has said it does not believe the driver acted alone. An Islamic State flag was found on the car’s hitch, the FBI said.

Handguns and pipe bombs were also found in the vehicle, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. The devices, which were concealed in the coolers, were wired for remote detonation, the bulletin said, and the corresponding remote control was discovered inside the vehicle.

The FBI said other potential explosive devices were also located in the French Quarter. According to intelligence reports, surveillance cameras captured three men and a woman setting up one of several improvised explosive devices.

“This is not just a terrorist attack. It’s evil,” said New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. She said the driver “violated” safety measures that were in place to protect pedestrians and “was determined to create carnage and cause harm.”

The FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Deen Jabbar, 42, a US citizen and Army veteran from Texas, and said it was working to determine Jabbar’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.

“We don’t believe Jabbar is solely responsible,” Alethea Duncan, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, told a news conference.