Terror on New Year’s Eve: Report on New Orleans: Death driver exploited security loophole

During the death drive in New Orleans that left 15 dead, the perpetrator exploited a security gap: According to a media report, there were no bollards that could have stopped the suspected Islamist’s pickup truck on New Year’s morning. The man drove around a police car that was supposed to block access instead, the New York Times reported, citing authorities. The FBI classified the bloody act as an act of terrorism. At least 15 people died on New Year’s Eve when a gunman plowed into revelers in the popular French Quarter nightlife district.

A flag of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) was found in his car. According to the FBI, there were also weapons in the vehicle. Possible explosive devices were also discovered inside and outside the car. It was initially unclear whether the perpetrator had accomplices.

The perpetrator was a US citizen and former soldier

According to the FBI, the perpetrator is a 42-year-old Texas-born US citizen named Shamsud-Din J. The US federal police released a photo of the suspect and asked the public for information about him.

According to US President Joe Biden, in the recordings that the perpetrator posted on social networks, he revealed that he was driven “by the desire to kill.” According to his own statements, the attacker was persuaded to carry out his attack by IS. Biden said this was evident from videos that he posted online just a few hours before the crime, citing investigations by the Federal Police Agency (FBI). Biden also emphasized that the perpetrator served in the US Army for “many years” and was then listed as a reservist for years.

The New York Times reported that J. had difficulty adjusting to civilian life after leaving the military. According to the paper, this comes from a 2015 interview that J. conducted with the Georgia State University student newspaper. During his military career he worked primarily as an IT specialist. He served in the US military from 2007 to 2015 and was once deployed to Afghanistan, the New York Times reported, citing US military information.

Connection to the explosion of a Tesla cyber truck?

It is not the only event that is currently shaking the USA: hours after the terrorist attack in New Orleans, a Tesla cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. US investigators are examining a possible connection between the two incidents. According to reports, one person in the vehicle died in the explosion and seven others were slightly injured. Investigators found charred remains of gasoline cans and fireworks in the back of the burned-out Tesla. According to US media, both vehicles were rented through the same US car broker.

According to US media, there are indications of a possible connection between the two drivers through work for the US military. The Denver7 station reported, citing government sources, that the two drivers worked at the same US military base. According to the authorities, this is a potentially important line of investigation, NBC News reported. However, it is completely unclear whether the times in which the men were active in a military area – or another location – even overlapped.

According to the FBI, several court-authorized searches were underway in New Orleans and other US states. The investigators initially did not provide any details. ABC, citing unnamed sources, reported searches at a property in New Orleans and one in Houston, both of which may be linked to the suspect. The accommodation in New Orleans may be related to the production of explosive devices, wrote the NBC broadcaster, citing investigators.

Were there security breaches in New Orleans?

The bollards that normally block passage in the popular nightlife district during major events were not in use on New Year’s Eve. They were scheduled to be replaced in preparation for the Super Bowl, which New Orleans will host on February 9th. “We actually had a plan, but the terrorist destroyed it,” said New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.

In New Orleans, a few hours after midnight on New Year’s morning, a white pickup truck drove through the crowd of celebrating passers-by in the French Quarter. The police spoke of “very deliberate behavior” on the part of the driver. According to investigators, the perpetrator exchanged fire with police officers after the trip. Two of them were injured but were in stable condition. The perpetrator died in the fight. It is currently being examined whether the explosive devices found could actually have been detonated, it said.

Who were the victims of New Orleans?

Many of the later victims had gathered on Bourbon Street to celebrate the New Year. Among them was a former Princeton University football player, US media reported. The 27-year-old reportedly died in the attack. Among the dead was an 18-year-old woman who was about to start studying to become a nurse, the New York Times reported. A father of two, 37, also died.

State of emergency declared ahead of planned major events in New Orleans

The governor of the US state of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, declared a state of emergency for the city and upcoming major events there in order to quickly initiate measures such as evacuations in the event of an emergency and to request help at the federal level. The step is taken with a view to major events planned in New Orleans. The Sugar Bowl, originally planned for New Year’s Day, was scheduled to take place on Thursday under strict security precautions. Traditionally hosted in New Orleans, the college football game attracts tens of thousands of people from across the country each year.

The city will also host the Super Bowl on February 9th. The final game of the American football league NFL falls into the beginning of the carnival season, which reaches its climax in the southern metropolis with the famous Mardi Gras parades at the beginning of March – another major event that brings thousands upon thousands of residents and tourists onto the streets every year.