“We know the perpetrator has been killed,” said New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas. “As we search for a motive, remember there is no making sense of evil.”
Officials did not immediately name the suspect.
NBC News, citing three unnamed senior law enforcement sources, identified the suspect as Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42.
NOLA.com, citing one unidentified law enforcement source, reported that same suspect was carrying an ISIS flag in the truck. Reuters was unable to verify the reports and the US Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initially said the attack was “not a terrorist event”, but the bureau later said it was investigating it “as an act of terrorism”.
A suspected improvised explosive device was found and the FBI is working to determine if it was viable.
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell said she is in contact with the White House about the incident. She also urged people to stay clear of the area.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the latest developments in New Orleans and will continue to be briefed throughout the day, said the White House. The president also offered Cantrell “full federal support”.
“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind,” Biden said in a statement.
President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement that his incoming administration would “fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”
In a post on X, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called the attack “a horrific act of violence”.
