New Orleans Attack: Death Toll Reaches 15, Suspect was US Army Veteran Who Served in Afghanistan

New Delhi: Fifteen people were killed and many others were injured when a US Army veteran flying an ISIS flag crashed his truck into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.

The suspect has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, who is a US citizen and resided in Texas. Jabbar, who had once served in Afghanistan, was killed in a shootout with the police, reported Reuters.

New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick said that FBI will be taking over the investigation, reported DW.

Thirty other people were also injured in the attack including two police personnel who got wounded as the suspect opened fire. Police also found weapons and a potential explosive device in the suspect’s vehicle, while two other explosive devices were found in the French Quarter and later rendered safe, said the FBI.

The FBI said that an ISIS flag was attached to a staff protruding from the rented vehicle that was used in the attack, leading to an investigation being started into the attackers possible connections with terrorist organisations.

US President Joe Biden condemned the attack and said that investigators were also probing if the same suspect might have a link to a Tesla truck fire outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

"The FBI also reported to me that mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he's inspired by ISIS, expressing the desire to kill," said Biden.

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