NEW ORLEANS — The College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs will be played Thursday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (3:00 PM Central Standard Time). A terrorist attack killed 15 people and injured 35.
The decision to postpone the game was made out of the highest regard for precaution amid the ongoing investigation. The FBI is bringing in people from Quantico and leading the investigation.
A pickup truck plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day. 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar is identified as the suspect. He was killed by police.
President Joe Biden recently spoke to members of the press Wednesday afternoon. Jabbar posted videos on social media “mere hours” before the attack “indicating that he was inspired by ISIS.”
“The FBI reported to me the killer was an American citizen born in Texas,” Biden said. “They also reported to me that hours before the attack he posted videos on social media indicating he was inspired by ISIS.”
A student at the University of Georgia has been identified as one of the injured victims. The student is in critical condition. University President Dr. Jere Morehead expressed sorrow over the gut-wrenching moments. He confirmed that the injured student is receiving medical treatment. Also, he had spoken directly with the student’s family to share support and well wishes on behalf of the UGA community.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all the first responders who moved so quickly to help those affected by this senseless act of violence, as well as to the medical personnel who are caring for the injured,” Morehead said in the statement.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued a statement offering condolences.
“Marty, the girls and I ask for all Georgians to join us in praying for the City of New Orleans and all those affected by last night’s horrific tragedy. We send our deepest condolences to the families of the those lives lost and pray for the recovery of those injured.”
The previous story is below.
Shamsud Din Jabbar is identified as the primary suspect
At 3:13am, Central Standard Time, an individual drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 15 individuals and injuring 35 more. After hitting the crowd, he exited the vehicle and fired upon local law enforcement. Law enforcement returned fire and the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar. Jabbar is a native-born citizen of the United States of America. Police fatally shot him after the attack and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Two law enforcement officers were injured and transported to local hospitals.
Plus, Jabbar is a veteran of the United States Army and has worked in the information technology department at Deloitte. He also received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University. He attended the school from 2015-2017.
As of now, two IEDs were found. The FBI Special Agent bomb technicians as well as New Orleans local law enforcement partners have been working to determine if any of these devices are viable, and they will work to render those devices safe.
“I want to thank our law enforcement officers,” said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. “I want to thank our medical personnel, and I want to thank our first responders. And most importantly, I want to thank the two New Orleans police officers who not only laid their life on the line, but were able to eliminate the threat this morning. Let me say we have made public safety a state priority from day one.”
The FBI says they do not believe that he acted alone in this attack. They are actively searching for other suspects and potential connections that he may have had that is new information.
Public safety paramount ahead of big events
Bollards designed to block vehicle access into portions of the French Quarter may have been down because of repairs. The New Orleans Superintendent of Police, Anne Kirkpatrick, said the suspect drove around the barricades and onto the sidewalk. The bollards were not functioning and as such, they were not up prior to the attack.
“The decision that was made to postpone the game was not done lightly. It was done with one single thing in mind, public safety,” said U.S. Representative Troy Carter. “Making sure that the citizens and visitors of this great city, not only for this event, but for every event you come to in Louisiana, that you will be safe. Our energy, our commitment, will be to make sure that you are safe now and for every event in the future.”
The prevailing questions is why were the bollards out at this time when everyone knew that there was going to be huge pedestrian events on Bourbon Street, for New Year’s Eve and for the Sugar Bowl? The bollards were being replaced in preparations for the upcoming Super Bowl. Governor Landry and U.S. Senator John Kennedy promised they will get to the bottom of what happened.
Leadership promises swift justice
“Okay, once the FBI has a chance to investigate all this, I’m all working with state police, working with Homeland Security, working with the City of New Orleans, they’re going to tell you what happened,” said U.S. Senator John Kennedy. “I can promise you that, or I’m going to raise fresh Hell. But right now, they’re in the process of trying to catch the other bad guys, and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt for a while.”
President-elect Donald Trump said the suspect was an undocumented immigrant. However, his claims were unfounded.
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” Trump said on his website, Truth Social. “The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before,” he added falsely. “Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department.”
“I tell you one thing, your Governor going to be there,” said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. “That is proof, believe you me, that that facility [the Superdome] in this city is safer today than it was yesterday.”
