Joe Biden: Suspect expressed ‘desire to kill’ on social media Joe Biden has just given brief remarks about the attack in New Orleans that killed at least 15 people. The president said the FBI found that “mere hours before the attack” the suspect “posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by Isis, expressing a desire to kill”.
Biden said the investigation was still in a preliminary stage and that the situation was “fluid”. “The law enforcement intelligence community continues to look for any connections, associations or co-conspirators,” he said.
Biden makes a statement on the latest developments in New Orleans. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP He said law enforcement was also investigating the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas and whether there was “any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans”. He said he had nothing yet to report on those inquiries.
He added: “New Orleans is a place unlike any other place in the world – a city full of charm and joy. So many people around the world love New Orleans because of its history, its culture and above all its people. I know that while this person committed a terrible assault on this city, the spirit of New Orleans will never, never be defeated.” Biden did not take questions.
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Closing summary We are closing our live coverage of the New Orleans attack that killed at least 15 people on New Year’s Day. Here is a recap of the day’s developments:
The FBI said Shamsud-Din Jabbar , a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas, drove a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street at about 3.15am.
At least 15 people were killed and more than 30 injured. The victims include Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, an 18-year-old who was due to start a nursing program, and Tiger Bech, a 27-year-old Louisiana native and former football player.
Jabbar served in the US army for 13 years , including a deployment to Afghanistan.
He was shot dead by police after reportedly exchanging gunfire with police .
Street barriers to prevent vehicle attacks in New Orleans in the area were in the process of being replaced at the time of the attack.
Joe Biden said the FBI found that “mere hours before the attack”, the suspect “posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by Islamic State, expressing a desire to kill”.
The FBI has said it did not believe Jabbar was “solely responsible” for the deadly attack and asked the public for help in tracking down associates.
Donald Trump falsely suggested the suspect was a non-citizen, saying “criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country”, despite the fact that the suspect was a US citizen.
Residents and tourists recalled scrambling for cover as scenes of unimaginable horror unfolded in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill said there is a huge law enforcement presence in New Orleans in the attack’s aftermath. She believes the Sugar Bowl should be delayed at least another day , but says the community is safe.
Condolences and condemnations rolled in from local sport teams to international leaders , while details about victims of the attack emerge in local news.
For more, here is an explainer everything we know so far:
Two more victims of the New Orleans vehicle attack have been identified by their former high schools.
21 year old Hubert Gauthreaux graduated from Archbishop Shaw High School in 2021. A spokesperson for the school said he “was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter”:
We are asking the entire Archbishop Shaw family to pray for the repose of Hubert’s soul, his family and friends during this difficult time, and all those affected by this tragedy.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Kareem Badawi, who graduated from Episcopal School of Baton Rouge in 2024, died from his injuries in the attack, the school said in a statement, as reported by WDSU News. Another student, Parker Vidrine, was critically injured and hospitalized. The statement said:
It is with a profound sense of sorrow and grief that we share difficult news involving members of our Episcopal family. Earlier today, we learned of a horrific attack in New Orleans that has tragically impacted our school community. Because of the sensitive nature and out of respect for the families, there is only so much that is appropriate to share at this time.
We are deeply saddened to share that alumnus Parker Vidrine ’24 was critically injured and is hospitalized, and alumnus Kareem Badawi ’24 tragically passed away as a result of the attack.
Local media in New Orleans have identified the first known victims of the New Year’s Day attack, including an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a 37-year-old father of two and a 27-year-old former football player.
A fast-moving vehicle ploughed into the crowds of revelers celebrating the first hours of 2025 early on Wednesday morning, killing at least 15 people. Details of those killed are beginning to emerge in local media:
Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, 18, traveled to New Orleans from nearby Gulfport, Mississippi, with a cousin and a friend. Reggie Hunter, a 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Tiger Bech, a 27-year-old Lafayette, Louisiana, native and former football player. A fourth victim was named as Nicole Perez , a 28-year-old mother and delicatessen manager from Metairie, Louisiana, who was celebrating the new year with friends.
Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux graduated from Harrison Central high school in Gulfport in 2024 and was due to start a nursing program at Blue Cliff College later this month.
Her mother Melissa Dedeaux told Nola.com: “She was the sweetest person. She would give you anything, anything.” She said her daughter had apparently been hit by the speeding truck after running at the sound of gunfire.
After finishing work on New Year’s Eve, Hunter decided to head to Bourbon Street “on a whim” to celebrate the new year with a cousin, Shirell Jackson, his family told Nola.com.
According to the outlet, Bech was hit by the suspect’s truck, said Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St Thomas More Catholic high school, where he played football before going on to play for Princeton University.
You can read more here:
19-year-olds Elle Eisele and Steele Idelson are among dozens injured in the New Orleans truck attack on Wednesday, congressman Bryon Donalds said in a statement posted to Facebook.
“Two members of our Southwest Florida community were injured during this morning’s terrorist attack in New Orleans,” the representative for Florida’s 19th congressional district said.
Both Elle Eisele and Steele Idelson are 2023 graduates of the Canterbury School in Fort Myers.
Erika and I pray for the health, strength, and speedy recovery of Elle, Steele, and the thirty-three other injured victims of this evil.
Donalds also shared a statement from The Canterbury School on behalf of the girls’ families:
The Eisele and Idelson families are deeply grateful for the outpouring of thoughts, prayers, and offers of support for our daughters following the tragic attack in New Orleans.
International condolences and condemnation poured in following the New Orleans vehicle attack which killed at least 15 people in the city’s French Quarter. Here is Agence France-Presse’s round-up of global reactions:
French president Emmanuel Macron posted on X:
New Orleans, so dear to the hearts of the French, has been struck by terrorism. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and the injured, as well as with the American people, whose sorrow we share.
Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice in the south of France – which suffered a car-ramming attack in 2016 that killed 86 people – also posted on X:
The tragedy in New Orleans, a sister city of Nice, very painfully recalls our own … Our thoughts go out to the families and the lives mowed down in mid-New Year’s celebrations.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X:
Horrified by the attack in New Orleans, US, which has claimed innocent lives and left many injured.
We trust that those responsible for this terrible act will be brought to justice. Violence, terrorism, and any threats to human life have no place in our world and must not be tolerated.
Kaja Kallas, European Union’s top diplomat, posted on X:
I am deeply saddened by the deliberate attack on those celebrating New Year’s in New Orleans. There is no excuse for such violence.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted on X:
This is terrible news from New Orleans. People celebrating happily are torn from their lives or injured by senseless hatred. We grieve with the families and friends of the victims and wish all those injured a quick recovery.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X:
Deeply saddened by the terrorist attack in New Orleans. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims. Wishing a swift recovery to the two injured Israeli citizens and all the wounded… Terror has no place in our world.
Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement:
We are deeply saddened by the attack that took place in New Orleans, USA. We extend our condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives … We hope that the motive for the attack will be revealed as soon as possible and that those who might be responsible will be held accountable before justice.
And Saudi Arabia “condemns and denounces” the attack, its foreign ministry said in a statement on X.
‘We’re living in a world where you don’t know where you’re safe’: New Orleans team coaches devastated by vehicle attack
New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green said the NBA team was “devastated” by the truck attack that killed at least 15 people on New Years Day, Agence France-Presse report.
Green spoke to reporters in Miami before the Pelicans faced the Heat on Wednesday night:
Obviously, our hearts and our prayers, our thoughts go out to all the families that are impacted by, to be honest with you, a senseless act of violence.
We discussed it a bit with our players, but we’re just living in times and in a world where you don’t know where you’re safe.
Schools, churches, people should be able to go out and have a good time and walk the streets and it’s devastating.
I can only imagine what those families are going through and what they have to deal with now for the rest of their lives.
Darren Rizzi, NFL New Orleans Saints’ interim head coach, told reporters it was a solemn day.
What is New Orleans’ French Quarter, location of the vehicle attack?
The New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans targeted one of the city’s most famous districts – the six-by-13-block French Quarter. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, it attracts millions of visitors each year as a hub for music, culture and raucous nightlife.
The vehicle attack took place on Bourbon Street, an area famed for its bars and music venues, in a city where locals say jazz was first invented by freed enslaved people in the 19th century.
The vehicle attack took place on Bourbon Street, an area famed for its bars and music venues, in a city where locals say jazz was first invented by freed enslaved people in the 19th century. The vehicle attack took place on Bourbon Street, an area famed for its bars and music venues, in a city where locals say jazz was first invented by freed enslaved people in the 19th century. The street – named for the former French royal family – is the main artery feeding the city’s tourist nightlife, with people often carrying their drinks in “go-cups” as they walk down the promenade. Footage posted on social media, purportedly of the moments before the attack, appeared to show just that – New Year’s night revellers bopping to music and spilling out of nearby bars as police officers ran past them to respond to an unseen commotion.
You can read more about the location of the New Year’s Day truck attack here:
Liz Murrill, Louisiana attorney general, believes the community is safe following the New Orleans vehicle attack.
Asked if there is any further threat in an interview with NBC News a short while ago, Murrill said:
No, I believe that the community is safe, and there certainly are a lot of law enforcement, there is a huge law enforcement presence here in New Orleans.
I believe that everyone is safe.
Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill thinks the Sugar Bowl should be delayed at least another day, she said in an interview with NBC News.
Murrill said not all bodies have been removed from the scene:
Not my decision, but I would like to see it delayed at least another day. If they ask my opinion, I would tell them that.
I think it was a wise decision to delay it at least a day. This is an active crime scene, and they just finished removing some of the bodies and they still haven’t removed all of them. I still think that we probably need to wait an extra day.
The football game was originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, but was postponed for 24 hours in the wake of the New Year’s Day vehicle attack.
Two Mexican nationals injured but in stable condition
The Mexico foreign affairs ministry said US officials confirmed two Mexican nationals were injured in the New Orleans attack that killed at least 15, but are in stable condition, the New York Times reports.