NEW ORLEANS – Surveillance footage from Bourbon Street shows terror suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar speeding his electric Ford F-150 pickup truck toward a crowd of New Year’s revelers, who narrowly escape the fast-moving vehicle. Authorities fatally shot Jabbar after he drove his vehicle through the crowd, killing 14 people and opening fire on police in what officials described as a terrorist attack.
Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor, commented on the incident, stating that police departments across the nation have shifted their standard operating procedures because “it’s no longer enough to wait for the feds to do their counterterrorism.” He also suggested that Jabbar may have chosen an electric vehicle due to its quiet operation, which made it easier to approach unsuspecting victims.
The attack was not the first incident of a terrorist using a vehicle as a weapon. In recent years, authorities have seen a proliferation of these types of attacks, and Mauro believes that the trend is becoming more common. “A 500-pound vehicle going at a high rate of speed in an urban area is utterly devastating. And it’s very clear the trend is that this is becoming – this tactic of choice among terrorists globally,” he said.
The event has left a city in mourning, with business employees and residents describing the events as a tragedy. “It’s a tragedy in New Orleans,” said Kevin Scott, a charcoal chef at the Bourbon Street restaurant Felix’s. “I’m just wishing we can all come together and just…be a better place, a better world.”
The FBI has stated that they believe Jabbar acted alone and was motivated by Islamic State (ISIS) ideologies. Officials have also located two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in coolers in the French Quarter, which were placed there after the attack. Before the rampage, Jabbar posted several videos on Facebook declaring his support for ISIS.