The FBI announced on Wednesday afternoon, January 1, that the death toll from the New Orleans attack has reached a minimum of 15 individuals.
The latest fatality numbers were released shortly after the suspect's identification.
The suspect, who drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street during New Year celebrations, has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar from Texas, a U.S. citizen, according to an FBI news release.
In the same release, the FBI mentioned finding an ISIS flag in the Ford pickup involved in the attack, and they are investigating the suspect’s possible connections to terrorist groups, as detailed in the news release.
Emergency vehicles are seen at a house fire on Mandeville Street, which may be linked to the mass casualty incident on Bourbon Street where at least ten people died after a vehicle plowed into the crowd early on New Year’s Day in New Orleans, Louisiana. The FBI also identified weapons and a potential IED in the suspect’s vehicle, along with other possible IEDs in the French Quarter.
The release stated, “The FBI’s special agent bomb technicians are collaborating with our law enforcement partners to evaluate the legitimacy of these devices and ensure they are safely dealt with.”
At a Wednesday press conference, authorities expressed their belief that Jabbar did not act alone, and both local authorities and the FBI have requested public assistance for any additional information.
The FBI has set up a digital tip line at: www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetattack, or information can be provided by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Records from Texas indicate that Jabbar had been charged with two minor offenses previously. In 2002, he was arrested in Katy, Texas, for misdemeanor theft, and in 2005 he was arrested for driving with an invalid license, as reported by the New York Times.
The FBI has labeled the tragic attack, which occurred around 3:15 a.m. on January 1, as an act of terrorism. A pickup truck struck Bourbon Street, resulting in 10 fatalities and injuring approximately 35 others.
Following the truck crash, the driver engaged in a shootout with police, leading to two officers being injured, though they are now in stable condition.
The New Orleans Police Department had earlier informed PEOPLE that the driver lost his life during the altercation.
FBI agents arrived at the location where a white Ford F-150 pickup truck had collided with a work lift after reportedly driving into a group of New Year's Eve celebrants in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
"This morning, an individual drove a vehicle into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, resulting in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries," the FBI announced in a statement. "The individual then engaged with local police and is now deceased. The FBI is the primary investigative agency and we are collaborating with our partners to examine this incident as a potential act of terrorism."
"It was a deliberate act. This person was attempting to hit as many individuals as possible. This wasn't a DUI case; the situation is far more intricate and severe based on our current data," stated New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
"This individual, who circumvented our barricades to carry out this act, was determined to cause the destruction and harm he inflicted," Kirkpatrick commented about the suspect.