New Orleans attack live updates: ‘Country is a disaster, laughing stock’ says Donald Trump

New Orleans attack live updates: Sanitation workers have been allowed into the blocked off Bourbon street where a man drove his car through a crowd and killed 15 people, reported CNN.

Workers are cleaning the street so the street can be opened up for residents again. Governor Landry had advised tourists to maintain distance from Bourbon street for some time.

The main group is also known as the IS, ISIS or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. It began as a breakaway group from al-Qaida.

Scattered from its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq by a US military-led coalition more than five years ago, the Islamic State focused on seizing territory in the Middle East more than on staging massive al-Qaeda-style attacks on the West.

In its home territory, IS has welcomed any chance to behead Americans and other foreigners who come within its reach.

New Orleans attack live updates: Pope Francis on Thursday expressed his condolences to the archbishop for the New Orleans terror attack which took the lives of 15 peoples and injured several others.

"His holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the attack," wrote the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

He added that the pope "prays for the healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved".

New Orleans attack live updates: In a post on social media platform X, prime minister Narendra Modi condemned the terror attack in New Orleans and offered his support to the victims and their families.

“We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy,” he said.

New Orleans attack live updates: The chief of the New Orleans police department, Anne Kirkpatrick, promised citizens that law enforcement presence would be heightened, especially as the city is supposed to host the Sugar Bowl, a college football match, which had been postponed due to the Bourbon street terror attack.

“We are going to have absolutely hundreds of officers and staff lining our streets, lining Bourbon Street, lining the French Quarter,” police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told NBC.

New Orleans attack live updates: Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old man suspected of of killing 15 people in New Orleans, had previously pled guilty to a driving under the influence charge (DUI) in 2015, reported CNN.

Documents obtained from a US district court in North Carolina showed that Jabbar had been driving after consuming alcohol. His driver's license had been suspended, and he had been placed on probation for 12 months.

He also had to do community service and pay a fine after the offence.

New Orleans attack live updates: An FBI special agent told news agency AP that they did not believe suspect Shamdhud-din Jabbar had acted alone.

“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” the FBI agent said.

New Orleans attack live updates: In a post on X, Elon Musk stated that the use of a Cyber truck in an explosion in Las Vegas was the wrong choice.

"The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken," he said.

New Orleans attack live updates: US Senator Marsha Blackburn took to social media platform X and commented on an image of FBI officials in New Orleans wearing bracelets celebrating singer Taylor Swift's new tour.

She tagged Kash Patel, Trump's nominee for FBI chief in the post, and said, “This is what the FBI New Orleans has been doing. Return the FBI to its mission of investigating criminals and terrorists.”

New Orleans attack live updates: Louisiana governor Jeff Landry took to social media platform X to reassure citizens and also issue a warning for tourists to stay away from the French Quarter.

On Bourbon street in the French Quarter a man drove through a crowd of pedestrians, killing 15 people and injuring several others.

“We recognize that there are tourists around us, and we urge all to avoid the French Quarter as this is an active investigation. We understand the concerns of the community and want to reassure everyone that the safety of the French Quarter and the city of New Orleans remains our top priority,” the governor stated.

New Orleans attack live updates: Investigators are looking into whether there are any links between an explosion in Las Vegas and attack in New Orleans, reported CNN.

Both the attacks had cars that had been rented using the platform Turo and occurred mere hours into the new year.

For now the FBI has stated that there are no links to ISIS for the Las Vegas explosion which took place outside a Trump hotel.

New Orleans attack live updates: In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump stated that the country was a disaster and blamed Democrats as well as the FBI for incompetence.

“Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World! This is what happens when you have OPEN BORDERS, with weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership. The DOJ, FBI, and Democrat state and local prosecutors have not done their job. They are incompetent and corrupt, having spent all of their waking hours unlawfully attacking their political opponent,” he said.

The radical Islamic State group, which once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq, has been implicated in the truck attack on a New Orleans crowd, which killed 15 people and injured about 30.

A mass shooting at Amazura nightclub in Queens, New York, has left at least 11 people injured, reported The Spectator Index.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has not released details about the incident. Social media posts from locals and reporters showed a large police presence at the club. Dig Deeper

New Orleans attack live updates: Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck onto a sidewalk, manoeuvring around a police vehicle placed to block traffic, authorities reported. The barrier system designed to prevent vehicle attacks was undergoing repairs in anticipation of the Super Bowl in February.

After exiting the truck and opening fire on responding officers, Jabbar was shot and killed by police, according to Kirkpatrick. Three officers returned fire, and two of them were injured but are in stable condition.

Investigators recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle, a law enforcement source, who spoke anonymously due to the ongoing investigation, confirmed.

New Orleans attack live updates: The lively atmosphere of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, a symbol of indulgence and revelry in America, was overshadowed on Wednesday as residents and visitors grappled with the aftermath of a deadly truck attack on New Year's crowds.

Typically bustling with live music, art galleries, and vibrant nightlife, the French Quarter is the heart of the city's celebratory spirit and is renowned for its energetic party scene.

New Year's Eve drew especially large crowds, bolstered by sports fans arriving ahead of the Sugar Bowl college football game, initially scheduled for Wednesday night at the Superdome.

Thousands of fans from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia filled the French Quarter's streets and bars, adding to the festive mood. However, the playoff has now been postponed to Thursday night.

New Orleans attack live updates: In the wake of the New Orleans attack that claimed 15 lives, world leaders have expressed strong condemnation. Condolences flowed in from figures such as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and others.

The leaders universally denounced the attack, offered heartfelt sympathies to the victims and their families, and reiterated the importance of fighting "terrorism."

New Orleans attack live updates: An 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two, and a former Princeton football star were among those fatally injured when a driver in a white pickup truck barreled down Bourbon Street, crowded with holiday revellers, early Wednesday morning.

While officials have not disclosed the names of the 15 victims killed in the New Year's Day truck attack in New Orleans, their families and friends have begun sharing their stories. Dwight McKenna, the New Orleans Coroner, stated that the names will be released after autopsies are completed and the next of kin have been notified. Approximately 30 others were injured.

New Orleans attack live updates: An ISIS flag was found attached to a staff extending from the trailer hitch of the rented vehicle, leading to an investigation into potential ties to terrorist organisations, according to the FBI.

"We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan told reporters, adding that investigators were exploring a "range of suspects."

New Orleans attack live updates: President Joe Biden stated Wednesday evening that the FBI discovered videos posted by the driver to social media hours before the attack, in which he said he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressed "a desire to kill."

The violent rampage transformed Bourbon Street, typically a festive area, into a scene of chaos, with maimed victims, bloodied bodies, and pedestrians rushing for safety inside nightclubs and restaurants. Along with the fatalities, dozens of others were injured. A college football playoff game at the nearby Superdome was postponed until Thursday. Dig deeper

New Orleans attack live updates: A man named Abdur Jabbar, from Beaumont, Texas, told The New York Times that he was the suspect's brother and described him as “a sweetheart really, a nice guy, a friend, really smart, caring.”

He mentioned that the suspect had converted to Islam at a young age but clarified that “what he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalisation, not religion.”

According to the newspaper, Jabbar was twice married, with his second marriage ending in divorce in 2022. He had mentioned experiencing financial troubles in an email to his wife's lawyer.

New Orleans attack live updates: The New Orleans attack suspect, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was a US citizen from Texas. He appeared to be a real estate agent who had served in the military but faced financial struggles and a divorce.

In a YouTube video posted four years ago, Jabbar, speaking with a southern accent, highlighted his abilities as a "fierce negotiator" while promoting his property management services.

President Joe Biden informed reporters that, hours before the attack, Jabbar posted videos online suggesting he was "inspired by ISIS," based on information from investigators, who also used another name for the Islamic State militant group, AFP reported.