Driver Plows Through New Orleans Crowd, Killing 14

A driver plowed a pickup truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day, leaving 14 dead and dozens injured.

The Details: The driver was killed in a shootout with police around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday. An Islamic State group flag was recovered from the vehicle. The FBI is looking into at least one suspected improvised explosive device on the scene. In November, protective barriers intended to prevent terrorist attacks along Bourbon Street were removed amid an overhaul of the security system. 

The Suspect: The FBI said the attacker was 42-year-old U.S. citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas. Jabbar served in the Army for 13 years, including a deployment to Afghanistan. He worked as an IT specialist and was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant in 2020.

How the Media Covered it: Before the attacker's identity was publicized, right-rated sources often entertained the idea that the attacker was an unauthorized migrant. In a headline on its homepage, Fox said "Pickup driven by maniac behind Bourbon Street bloodbath crossed border days ago." Fox also included quotes from officials who were critical of the New Orleans Police Department and its purported failure to stop the attack. AP (Left bias) included context about previous instances of extremists using vehicles to ram through crowds. NBC News (Lean Left) mentioned that "data released by the FBI last year showed that violent crime was down about 3% nationally from 2022 to 2023." Updated 1/2/25 at 12:43pm ET with more details.