At least 15 people were killed and over were 30 injured during New Year's celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana, when a commercial vehicle rammed into partygoers. Two of the injured are Israeli citizens, Israel's Foreign Ministry announced. The attack occurred at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Street in the city's French Quarter, which had been closed to traffic due to the celebrations. The suspect was identified by law enforcement as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, from Houston, Texas. The FBI said it had recovered an Islamic State (ISIS) flag in the pickup truck. The driver exited the vehicle after the ramming and opened fire. Officials at a press conference said that they were aggressively hunting for additional suspects and did not believe Jabbar acted alone. A Louisiana State Police bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said surveillance footage captured three men and a woman placing one of multiple improvised explosive devices. In a news briefing, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said, "We do not know at this point how many could be tourists versus locals, but from the information I have right now, it seems the majority are locals." Related articles: New Years rammer made bombs with rare chemical, nails Condition of injured Israelis improves New Orleans attacker used explosive never-before used in US or EU New Orleans attacker visited city twice in recent months Earlier, she described the ramming as "very intentional," and said that the driver was going "very fast." The FBI is investigating reports that an explosive device may be at the scene. “There were improvised explosive devices found, and we are working on confirming if they are viable devices or not,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the FBI’s New Orleans office Alethea Duncan said. The FBI also confirmed that the suspect is dead, stating, “This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism." LaToya Cantrell, the mayor of New Orleans, described the incident as a "terrorist attack," ABC added. Police told the site that the ramming seems to have been intentional. Governor Jeff Landry said that his family was praying for the victims and first responders, calling the ramming "a horrific act of violence." There are no definitive numbers yet for dead or injured victims. The White House stated that US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the deadly ramming attack in New Orleans. “President Biden has been briefed on the horrific news that a driver killed and injured dozens of individuals in New Orleans overnight and the White House has been in touch with New Orleans Mayor Cantrell to offer support. The FBI is already on the ground supporting local law enforcement in the investigation and the President will continue to be briefed throughout the day,” the White House said. Israel's Foreign Ministry stated that two Israelis are among the injured, "The Foreign Ministry and the Consulate General in Houston are in contact with the hospitals and the families of the injured. At the direction of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, a representative of the consulate is on his way to New Orleans," the ministry said.
