ABC News - New Orleans attack: Officials provide update on deadly New Year's day tragedy
The briefing detailed the response to a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, where 14 victims were killed and 35 injured. Governor Landry and FBI officials discussed the extensive investigation involving over 1,000 law enforcement officers. The suspect, Shamsa Din Jabar, acted alone, inspired by ISIS, and used a rented truck to carry out the attack. The FBI and ATF are examining digital evidence and surveillance footage to ensure no accomplices were involved. Emergency declarations have streamlined resources, and additional security measures are in place for upcoming events like the Sugar Bowl. The city is focused on victim support and ensuring public safety, with Bourbon Street reopening before the game. The investigation is ongoing, with no current links to other incidents, such as the Las Vegas explosion.
Key Points:
- The attack was a lone act of terrorism inspired by ISIS, with no current evidence of accomplices.
- Over 1,000 law enforcement officers are involved in the investigation, examining digital evidence and surveillance footage.
- Emergency declarations have facilitated resource allocation and communication among federal, state, and local agencies.
- Bourbon Street is set to reopen with enhanced security measures for the Sugar Bowl, ensuring public safety.
- Victim support is a priority, with resources allocated for long-term assistance to affected families.
Details:
1. 🎗️ Governor's Address: Honoring Victims and Mobilizing Response
1.1. Honoring Victims
1.2. Mobilizing Response
2. 🔍 Coordinated Efforts: Law Enforcement Mobilization
- Law enforcement agencies, including the New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, FBI, and other federal agencies, have been actively collaborating by analyzing extensive data, surveillance footage, and conducting interviews to track down all possible leads, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to the investigation.
- An emergency declaration was issued to streamline resources and communications between state, local, and federal partners, enhancing the efficiency and speed of coordinated efforts, which is crucial for quickly addressing complex situations.
- The initiative emphasizes the dual nature of the ongoing situation in the city and state, highlighting the complexity and necessity of a multifaceted approach, ensuring that all aspects of the issue are addressed comprehensively.
- Specific outcomes of these coordinated efforts include improved intelligence sharing and faster response times, which are critical in high-stakes scenarios.
3. 🏢 FBI's Investigation: Updates and Insights
3.1. FBI's Active Criminal Investigation
3.2. Enhanced City Security Measures
4. 📜 Detailed Findings: Suspect's Background and Intentions
4.1. FBI Update on Investigative Activities
4.2. Classification of the Attack
5. 📹 Surveillance and Evidence Collection Efforts
- The investigation is only 24 hours old, and currently, the only suspect identified is Shamsa Din Jabar.
- FBI is deploying special agents from across the nation to assist with the investigation.
- Over 400 tips have been received from the public, and they are being followed up both locally in New Orleans and nationwide.
- The FBI and law enforcement partners are reviewing hundreds of hours of surveillance footage from various locations.
- Jabar picked up a rented F-150 in Houston, Texas, on December 30 and drove to New Orleans by the evening of December 31.
- Jabar posted five videos on his Facebook account supporting ISIS, with timestamps between 1:29 a.m. and 3:02 a.m.
- In the videos, Jabar stated he initially planned to harm family and friends but wanted media focus on a 'war between the Believers and the disbelievers.'
- The FBI, along with ATF, is managing multiple scenes, including the release of the scene at Bourbon.
6. 🚔 ATF's Tactical Support and Security Measures
- FBI and ATF agents have secured and are currently searching a Mandaville address for potential evidence.
- Jabar used a truck as a weapon on New Year's morning, causing casualties on Bourbon Street.
- Specially trained victim specialists are assisting survivors and families of the deceased in New Orleans.
- Three phones linked to Jabar have been recovered, with digital media exploitation as a priority to find potential leads.
- Two laptops recovered at the Mandaville address are being reviewed for leads.
- An Isis flag was recovered from Jabar's F-150 truck, and Jabar declared his support for the terrorist group on social media.
7. 🔐 Public Assurance: Security and Safety Protocols
- Two IEDs were recovered by FBI bomb technicians in coolers at separate locations on Bourbon and Orleans Street, ensuring public safety.
- Clarification was provided that only two functional devices were found, dispelling misinformation about additional devices.
- Surveillance footage identified the suspect, Jabar, who is a U.S. military veteran, placing the devices, prompting a search for witnesses.
- Authorities are actively seeking information from anyone who was in the French Quarter on New Year's Eve or early New Year's Day, urging them to report any information via 1800 call FBI or fbi.gov backslash Bourbon Street attack.
- The FBI continues its investigation, confirming no connection to the Las Vegas incident at this time, maintaining public assurance.
- Bourbon Street has been cleared and returned to the City of New Orleans, emphasizing restored safety and normalcy.
8. 🙏 Community Support: Mayor's Response to Tragedy
8.1. ATF's Role in the Investigation and Safety Measures
8.2. Community Support Initiatives and Victim Assistance
9. 🛡️ Ensuring Safety: Victim Support and Community Resources
9.1. Victim Support Measures
9.2. Community Preparedness for Large-Scale Events
10. 🏟️ Event Preparations: Sugar Bowl and Public Sentiment
10.1. Event Preparations and Safety Measures
10.2. Public Sentiment and Community Response
11. 🗣️ Law Enforcement Reflections and Public Trust
- Law enforcement emphasizes the need to tackle evil proactively rather than reactively, highlighting the importance of preventive measures such as community engagement and strategic planning.
- A strong message against living in fear is communicated, with emphasis on empowering communities to remain active and resilient, thereby fostering a supportive environment that counters fear and tragedy.
- The statement underscores the importance of community resilience, encouraging traditions like hospitality to reinforce social bonds and collective recovery.
- Acknowledgment of the evolving nature of information is made, stressing the need for patience and clear communication from law enforcement during investigations to prevent misinformation.
- Law enforcement stresses the strategic importance of under-promising and over-delivering to build and maintain public trust, highlighting a need for consistency and transparency in communications.
- There is an acknowledgment of past criticism faced by law enforcement, indicating a strategic focus on improving public relations and trust-building efforts through community programs and transparent policies.