New Orleans attack: What do we know so far?

At least 15 people were killed and more than 30 injured after the driver of a pickup truck drove into a large crowd in New Orleans early on New Year's Day.

The suspect was killed in a shootout with police and has been named by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar.

The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and said it does not believe the driver acted alone.

Wednesday's attack unfolded on Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties.

Large crowds also gathered in the city ahead of the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game that had been scheduled for later Wednesday at the nearby Superdome. The game has since been postponed until Thursday night.

ITV News explains what we know about the attack so far.

How did the attack unfold?

Police said the driver steered around a police blockade and raced through a crowd along Bourbon Street around 3:15am on Wednesday as people gathered to celebrate the New Year.

At least 15 people were killed and more than 30 were injured.

Those with injuries were taken to five local hospitals.

Investigators found guns and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle, along with other devices elsewhere in the city’s famed French Quarter.

Who was the driver?

The FBI said the driver was 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, a US citizen and army veteran from Texas.

Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, serving on active duty in human resources and information technology and deploying to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, the service said. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.

A flag representing the Islamic State group was found on the vehicle's trailer hitch, the FBI said. The bureau is trying to determine if Jabbar was associated with any terrorist organisations.

Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said during a news conference on Wednesday that the agency does not believe Jabbar acted alone.

Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did” and he tried “to run over as many people as he could.”

What have authorities found in their investigation?

Guns and pipe bombs were found in the suspect's vehicle, according to the State Police bulletin.

The devices were concealed within coolers and wired for remote detonation with a remote control that also was found in the vehicle, the bulletin said.

Who was in the crowd?

Authorities said Bourbon Street was filled with revellers celebrating the start of 2025 when the attack occurred.

Crowds in New Orleans also ballooned in anticipation of the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game. That game was postponed until Thursday night.

What protections are there for pedestrians on Bourbon Street?

City documents show New Orleans has been in the midst of a major project to remove and replace post-like barriers called bollards designed to prevent vehicle attacks along Bourbon Street.

That project began in November and involves replacing old bollards with new removable stainless steel bollards.

Have there been similar deadly attacks involving vehicles?

Wednesday's attack in New Orleans is the latest example of a vehicle being used as a weapon to carry out mass violence.

The trend has alarmed officials because such attacks can be difficult to protect against.

Last month, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor drove into a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, killing four women and a 9-year-old boy.

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