Unfortunately, the deadly ramming attack on people celebrating the New Year in New Orleans wasn't the only time a suspected terrorist used a truck to kill.
The bloodshed on Bourbon Street comes just weeks after a Saudi-born doctor allegedly crashed his car into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20, killing five people, including a 9-year-old boy. did. More than 200 others were injured. Another car crash occurred during a crowded event in Nice, France, in recent years. Waukesha, Wisconsin. New York City is no different, as one former President Trump's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official warns of the vulnerability of “soft targets.”
“Vehicle ramming, or 'vehicle as a weapon' attacks, is very effective. This attack came on the heels of the deadly incident at a Christmas market in Germany, so we all know that large-scale events “We need to be careful while participating and having fun,” Brian Harrell, a former assistant secretary of DHS during the first Trump administration, told FOX News Digital. “Soft targets and crowded areas are always desirable to terrorists, given the potential loss of life.”
“The first Trump administration recognized that vehicles as weapons were a real threat that needed to be mitigated,” Harrell added. “The challenge in securing public spaces, or 'soft targets,' is that the open nature of these locations makes them vulnerable to attack. Criminals target places where people of all backgrounds should be able to gather safely, freely and without fear. This kind of violence has no place in our society. ”
The FBI is investigating an “act of terrorism” on Wednesday, the White House said after authorities said a suspect drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens. I have received an explanation. A senior New Orleans police official confirmed to FOX News Digital that the deceased suspect was Shamsud Din Jabbar. He died after firing at police.
Jabbar was in possession of a Glock that had been reported stolen in New Jersey and a .308 rifle with optics and a suppressor, police said. The official added that at least four to five other suspects were involved.
Two police officers were shot dead. Officials confirmed to Fox News Digital that law enforcement found an apparently viable explosive device on Bourbon Street.
Driver plows into crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 10, injuring dozens, suspect dies
The eight blocks surrounding Bourbon Street remain cordoned off while the investigation continues.
A front desk employee at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel told FOX News Digital that he drove to work around 6 a.m. but had to walk a considerable distance past police barricades. She didn't see anything, but heard at least two soft “bangs” and suspected something had exploded.
Law enforcement officers stand on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on January 1, 2025. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
Fox News revealed that the vehicle used in the attack crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, in November. However, the alleged Bourbon Street attacker was not behind the wheel. This means that at some point the vehicle has changed ownership.
As expected, the Sugar Bowl was scheduled to begin Wednesday night in New Orleans with the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame, but the Dome was locked down for security.
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies are on scene on Bourbon Street in the early morning hours of New Year's Day, 2025, after someone allegedly drove a car into a crowd, killing at least 10 people. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
Louisiana's popular tourist destination continues to be hit by car ramming attacks, but here are some other incidents that have occurred in recent years.
Germany's interior minister warned on Monday that it was too early to suspect terrorism in the December 20 Christmas market incident.
The suspect has been identified as a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia who came to Germany in 2006 and was granted refugee status 10 years later. DW reported.
Live updates: New Orleans mayor declares 'terrorist attack' on Bourbon Street, FBI confirms investigation
The world-famous New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square went off without a hitch this year, but a car crash in New York City in 2017 was the deadliest terrorist attack in the Big Apple since 9/11. are.
Police vans and ambulances participate in the annual Christmas market in the city center following the terrorist attack in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20, 2024. (Craig Stennett/Getty Images)
On a Halloween afternoon in 2017, Saifululo Saipov of Uzbekistan used a 6,000-pound truck to hit more than 20 people on the Hudson River bike path in lower Manhattan. He ended up crashing into a school bus and jumping out of the truck screaming “Allahu Akbar,” which means “God is great” in Arabic, according to the New York Times. The officer shot the suspect in the abdomen. Prosecutors said the suspect killed eight people and seriously injured many others, including a 14-year-old child.
A judge sentenced Saipov to eight consecutive life sentences plus 260 years in prison in May 2023 for the ISIS-inspired attack. Prosecutors say the survivors suffered amputations, severe brain injuries, life-altering physical injuries and significant psychological trauma.
Three years ago, on November 21, 2021, Darrell Brooks Jr. drove his red Ford Escape into a Christmas parade in downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. The attack left six people dead, including 8-year-old Jackson Sparks. He was marching with the baseball team. The other victim was identified as Tamara Durand, 52. Wilhelm Hospel, 81 years old. Jane Krich, 52 years old. Liana Owen, 71 years old. Four of them were part of a group calling themselves the “Dancing Grannies.” \
Another 62 people were injured. The following November, Brooks was sentenced to life in prison without parole on 76 charges, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and 61 counts of reckless endangerment.
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On July 14, 2016, suspected Islamic State sympathizer Mohamed Lahoaie Bouhrel drove a 19-ton truck down the famous promenade in Nice, France, where thousands of people had gathered to watch fireworks on Bastille Day. did. The terrorist attack left 86 people dead and 450 injured. Lahoaiège Bouhlel was killed by police, but in 2022 a French court convicted eight others of helping organize the massacre. Their sentences ranged from two to 18 years. NPR reported.
Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report.
