NCITE Explains: New Orleans Terrorist Attack | National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
About 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, a man drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing 14 people and injuring more than 30. The driver was later killed in a shootout with police.
WHO |
WHY |
HOW |
| Authorities have identified the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. Army veteran from Texas. The FBI has said Jabbar acted alone. | Jabbar posted five videos to social media prior to the attack that declared his support for the Islamic State. Authorities also recovered a black Islamic State flag from the pickup. | Jabbar used the truck, rented on the carshare service Turo, to ram through crowds on Bourbon Street before engaging in a shootout with police. Authorities also believe Jabbar placed explosive devices in the area. |
Published by NCITE
Lawfare: On New Orleans, Las Vegas, Virginia, and the Threat of Improvised Explosive Devices
NCITE’s Austin Doctor writes on the enduring appeal of the IED for terrorists across ideology. “As the terrorism landscape changes, the U.S. counterterrorism workforce faces new challenges in assessing, preventing, and responding to the terrorist IED threat. Looking ahead, efficient and effective solutions will require close attention to the evolving human and technical dimensions underlying the terrorist IED threat,” he writes.
New Orleans Terror Attack: An Overview of ISIS Support in America
NCITE’s Seamus Hughes gives an overview of support for the Islamic State in the United States. “All told, the number of ISIS supporters in the U.S. is statistically small, though actions of the few have had an outsized effect on public perception and government policy. For the last decade, the FBI has consistently said in public remarks that it has more than 1,000 active ISIS investigations in all 50 states,” he writes.
Related NCITE Research
Novel Technology Usage
The use of a peer-to-peer carsharing service in the attack raises questions about how terrorists take advantage of new technologies. NCITE has produced research that examines this issuse in relation to many emerging technologies, including the AR/VR metaverse, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, and more.
Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Usage
The attacker’s intended use of explosives highlights the importance of understanding and countering the terrorist IED threat.
Preventing Future Attacks
The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative is one of many tools used by law enforcement to help prevent terrorism and terrorism-related activity. NCITE has developed an expansive set of research on this pathway to prevention.
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