The NYPD is on alert in the wake of the New Orleans terrorist attack early on New Year’s Day that left at least 15 people dead and 30 other individuals wounded.
The attack occurred along the Big Easy’s iconic Bourbon Street when the perpetrator – identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabaar, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran from Texas — rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of people celebrating the arrival of 2025. Jabaar died after a shootout with New Orleans police officers, wounding two cops in the process; potential explosives and an ISIS flag was found inside the truck, leading investigators to conclude terrorism may have been a motive.
On Wednesday night, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department is coordinating “closely with our federal, state and local partners” regarding the ongoing investigation in New Orleans. At this time, it does not appear that Jabbar had any ties to New York City.
New Year’s festivities in New York City went on without incident Tuesday night into Wednesday — though in the run-up to the Times Square celebration, Tisch noted that the NYPD was on high alert due to the potential for terrorism stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“However, in an abundance of caution, the NYPD will continue to enhance its presence across the city at relevant locations as warranted,” Tisch added.
Gov. Kathy Hochul added that she has put the state police “on high alert as details about this attack continue to unfold.” The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is also “in constant contact with the FBI and other federal partners” and the NYPD “to ensure we collect, share and analyze information about threats as quickly as possible.”
“New Yorkers have confronted the horror of terrorism, and we have always come out stronger for it. We stand ready to help our countrymen in New Orleans in any way we can,” Hochul said. “But I want to stress that New Yorkers should rest assured their government, and I personally, take this threat deadly seriously. We will continue doing everything we can to keep New York safe.”
Among the victims, Reuters reported, included Martin “Tiger” Bech, 28, a Louisiana native, who died from injuries he sustained in the attack. Bech had graduated from Princeton University in 2021, where he was a standout star for the Ivy League school’s football team, and more recently was a junior analyst at Seaport Global, a financial firm on Madison Avenue in Midtown.
Bech was reportedly visiting New Orleans with family and friends, including Ryan Quigley, who was also fatally struck in the attack. A GoFundMe account has raised nearly $80,000 as of Thursday morning for their funerals.
The ongoing investigation focuses now on whether Jabaar had any direct ties to terror organizations. They are also investigating whether the incident was connected, in any way, to the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Las Vegas hotel in which another U.S. Army veteran was found dead.
Jabaar had worked in real estate in Houston, and had served in the U.S. Army for eight years, including a stint in Afghanistan between February 2009 and January 2010.
With Reuters reporting
