The deadly ramming attack on New Year’s revelers in New Orleans is not the only time suspected terrorists have used trucks to kill. This comes just weeks after a Saudi Arabia-born doctor allegedly rammed a car into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20, killing five people, including a 9-year-old boy. Over 200 others were injured.
In recent years, other car ramming incidents have unfolded during crowded events in Nice, France; Waukesha, Wisconsin; and New York City, as one ex-Trump Department of Homeland Security official warns of the vulnerability of “soft targets.”
“Car ramming, or ‘vehicle as a weapon’ attacks, are highly effective. With this attack on the heels of the deadly events at the Christmas market in Germany, we should all be mindful while attending and enjoying mass gathering events,” Brian Harrell, a former assistant secretary at DHS under the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital.
The FBI is investigating an “act of terrorism” after a suspect allegedly rammed a truck into crowds on Bourbon Street, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens of others. A high-level source at the New Orleans Police Department confirmed that the now-deceased suspect was Shamsud Din Jabbar, who was killed after opening fire on police. Jabbar was carrying a Glock and a .308 rifle – equipped with optics and a suppressor – that had been reported stolen in New Jersey, the source said. The source added that there are at least four to five other suspects involved.
The attack is the latest in a series of car-ramming incidents in recent years, including the Christmas market attack in Germany, the 2017 truck attack in New York City, and the 2018 attack in Nice, France. The Sugar Bowl is still expected to kick off the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame as expected in New Orleans on Wednesday night, but the dome was under lockdown for security sweeps.
