Officials identified the man believed responsible for driving a truck into a crowd of people in New Orleans during the early hours of New Year’s Day, killing 10 people and injuring 35, as a 42-year-old from Texas.
The FBI said investigators believe Shamsud-Din Jabbar rented the Ford pickup he used in the attack. The New York Times confirmed that Jabbar was from Beaumont and served in the U.S. Army, which public records also show. The Houston Chronicle reported that the vehicle was registered in Houston.
Alethea Duncan, an FBI assistant special agent in New Orleans, said at a news conference that they do not believe Jabbar was “solely responsible” for the attack, which authorities have called an “act of terrorism.” Officials said the death toll remains at 10, but some of the injured were taken to hospital in critical condition.
After ramming his car into the crowd just after 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jabbar exited the vehicle and began shooting at law enforcement officers working on Bourbon Street. Officers killed Jabbar during the shootout.
Investigators later found an ISIS flag on its trailer hitch, weapons and explosives.
“An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle and the FBI is working to determine the subject’s possible associations and ties to terrorist organizations,” the FBI statement said. “Weapons and a potential IED were located in the suspect’s vehicle. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter. FBI Special Agents bomb technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if these devices are viable, and they are. working to make these devices safe.”
Court records show Jabbar was convicted of theft in Harris County for a 2002 incident. According to The New York Times, he was also convicted of driving with a suspended license in 2005.
Duncan would not confirm details about Jabbar’s arrest history during the news conference.
New Orleans was scheduled to host the Sugar Bowl college football game between Notre Dame and the University of Georgia on Wednesday, but that has since been postponed until Thursday.
Governor Greg Abbott said in a tweet that he was ordering the Texas Department of Public Safety to “get to the bottom” of the attack, with a “special focus on ensuring no one in Texas faces any threat.”
USA Today contributed reporting
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas man identified as suspect in New Orleans car attack