US: 2025 kicks off with terror Tracing the aftermath of New Orleans’ deadly attack

The arrival of the new year in 2025 was overshadowed by the largest terrorist attack in the United States in the past decade. In the city of New Orleans, a driver in a rented pickup truck rammed into a crowd, killing 14 people. The attack took place on one of the city's most famous streets, Bourbon Street, where thousands of locals were celebrating the arrival of the new year.

The terrorist bypassed roadblocks and began plowing into pedestrians until he collided with a crane. He then got out of the vehicle and opened fire on people until he was killed in a shootout with the police. Witnesses noted that the terrorist was wearing military gear. In addition to the 14 fatalities, thirty-five people were injured. Among the victims were two Israeli nationals and two Mexican citizens.

Tourists from Iowa, Jim and Nicole Mowrer, witnessed the tragedy. According to them, they were enjoying the festive atmosphere and watching fireworks when they heard a loud crash coming from the street. A white truck then broke through police barricades and began speeding through the crowd, hitting people.

Nicole Mowrer said, "Once the gunfire stopped, we stayed in the alcove until the gunfire stopped, came out into the street, and came across a lot of — several people who had been hit, [we] wanted to see what we could do to help." Unfortunately, witnesses noted that most of the victims from the truck's collision were already dead. Emergency services soon began arriving, and the Mowers left the scene of the tragedy.

The investigation revealed that the terrorist was 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was born and raised in Texas. In his youth, he was arrested twice by the police for petty theft and driving with an expired license. Jabbar served in the U.S. Army for about ten years as a personnel specialist and later as an IT specialist. In 2009, as a staff sergeant, the young soldier fought in Afghanistan.

After his demobilization, Shamsud-Din Jabbar ventured into real estate, but his business was struggling. Two divorces, in 2012 and 2022, severely impacted his financial situation. Jabbar was forced to sell all his possessions and move into an old trailer near Houston.

Jabbar converted to Islam, and two years ago, he visited Egypt, where he met Islamic radicals. The husband of his ex-wife said that after this trip, Jabbar began behaving unpredictably. In a video message recorded just before the attack, he declared his commitment to religious fundamentalism and his desire to kill. U.S. intelligence services also stated that the terrorist had planned to kill his family, including his two daughters. Before the attack, he attached an ISIS flag to his vehicle.

FBI agents found traces of explosives in Jabbar's home and do not rule out the possibility that the attacker had accomplices, either from the local community or from a foreign terrorist organization. An investigation is ongoing concerning a number of suspects. Several blocks from the attack site on Bourbon Street, two homemade bombs were found in a refrigerator. They were rigged to detonate and connected to a remote control found in Jabbar’s pickup truck. Additionally, a long-barrel pistol with a silencer was discovered at the crime scene.

Different reasons have been suggested regarding the attack. American political scientist Earl Rasmussen linked the terrorist act committed by Shamsud-Din Jabbar to the election of the new U.S. president, Donald Trump. In his view, the incident should serve as a warning to the future occupant of the White House. Rasmussen also connected the attack to the incident in Las Vegas, when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded near the Trump International Hotel, owned by Donald Trump. As a result of the explosion, one person was killed and seven others were injured. Police discovered fuel canisters and explosives inside the rented vehicle and determined that the driver was 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, another former U.S. military serviceman. The expert believes that the explosion in Las Vegas, involving a car manufactured by Elon Musk’s company, a staunch supporter of the incoming president, near the hotel owned by Donald Trump, occurring simultaneously with the New Orleans attack, was far from a coincidence.

Entrepreneur Elon Musk and outgoing President Joe Biden share Earl Rasmussen’s view on the connection between the two terrorist acts. Musk noted that both vehicles used in the attacks were rented through the Turo service.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump himself linked the attack in New Orleans to illegal immigration of criminal elements and assured the city’s administration that his team would provide full support to the residents in conducting the investigation and assisting the victims. Trump also made very harsh statements about his predecessors in the White House, who he claimed made significant security blunders. On his social media page, the new president wrote the following:

"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, ME, rather than focusing on protecting Americans from the outside and inside violent SCUM that has infiltrated all aspects of our government, and our Nation itself. Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen to our Country. The CIA must get involved, NOW, before it is too late. The USA is breaking down - A violent erosion of Safety, National Security, and Democracy is taking place all across our Nation. Only strength and powerful leadership will stop it. See you on January 20th."

The New Year's terrorist attack sparked immediate responses from officials outside the United States. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed condolences to the victims. Pope Francis stated that he was deeply saddened by the news of the deaths and is praying for the victims.

Experts from U.S. intelligence and the Pentagon have long emphasized that the conflict in the Middle East could spill over into U.S. territory through immigrants or former servicemen who served in Syria, Afghanistan, or Iraq. These individuals could go on to form terrorist groups or act as lone-wolf terrorists. It should be noted that law enforcement had long warned New Orleans authorities about the potential for a terrorist attack involving a vehicle ramming. The first memos on this possibility were submitted as early as 2017. The authorities took additional security measures, including using drones to monitor crowds, but as the events showed, this was insufficient.

The French Quarter of New Orleans is one of the most popular tourist destinations for both locals and visitors. It hosts LGBT parties as well as the Sugar Bowl parade, a popular sporting event. Following the terrorist attack, the match was rescheduled.