Biden Heads to New Orleans Amid Ongoing Investigations into Terror Driver’s Past

Authorities in New Orleans have declared that the entire French Quarter, including Bourbon Street, is now entirely open to the public, and security measures will be intensified following the New Year’s Day incident.

“We are increasing our security presence in collaboration with other law enforcement bodies. This upgraded safety initiative will occur daily, not merely during significant events,” the police remarked. This announcement was made partially in response to inquiries from NBC News concerning insufficient safety measures in place.

Law enforcement officials indicated that they will not reveal specific operational strategies to maintain the effectiveness of security initiatives.

“Be assured, we continuously assess and modify these strategies to ensure community safety,” the announcement stated. “We urge everyone to remain vigilant and assist us in safeguarding our city. If you notice something suspicious, report it — your attentiveness is essential in maintaining our community’s security”

Federal probe agents revisited today the residence located in north Harris County, Texas, belonging to the driver involved in the New Orleans assault, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, as reported by NBC affiliate KPRC from Houston.

The FBI’s Houston division stated that “law enforcement activity” was taking place at that location.

Wayne Jones, 50, a security officer at a tavern on Bourbon Street, disclosed that the region should have been more adequately secured on New Year’s Eve prior to the assault.

“I believe the city has let us down,” he remarked.

He highlighted that the steel Archer barriers that the city set up on the pavements of Bourbon Street the day after the incident would have been advantageous on the night when the street was brimming with New Year’s celebrators. “Why wasn’t that on the sidewalk?” he queried. “That would have hindered him,” he added concerning the assailant. 

Jones and several other local employees also questioned the judgment to substitute the street’s long-defective security bollards during the winter, a peak period for the French Quarter.

“It appears worse than inadequate planning,” articulated Rory Windhorst, who operates at a business on Bourbon Street close to the location of the assault. He pointed out that the city was investing money in preparations for the Super Bowl in February, and he was curious whether there had been a “serious misjudgment” in the allocation of resources.

The city issued a statement yesterday affirming its commitment to guaranteeing the safety and functionality of Bourbon Street, and that the ongoing bollard substitution is a part of that commitment.

New Orleans authorities were urged to amend the defective security bollard system in the city’s French Quarter, home to Bourbon Street, back in November 2019 and were cautioned that a vehicle ramming event was one of the most probable forms that a terrorist attack could assume.

Interfor International, a corporate intelligence consultancy, concluded the safety evaluation report for the French Quarter Management District. An executive summary of that report was published online in 2020, with less detail compared to the complete report, which remained confidential.

An excerpt of the full report, obtained by NBC News and first reported by The New York Times, asserted that the city should not only repair the bollard system but also contemplate closing Bourbon Street to vehicular traffic except for deliveries in midmorning, as practiced during Mardi Gras.

“The current bollard system on Bourbon Street seems ineffective,” the report stated. “Interfor has received contradictory explanations regarding why the existing bollard system is seldom utilized. Some residents and business proprietors reported that beads often fall into the tracks making the devices temporarily nonfunctional. Others assert there aren’t enough personnel available to deploy them according to the current schedule.”

Interfor strongly advised that bollard mobilization should be “improved/fixed promptly,” indicating that “the two modes of terrorist attack that are most likely to be employed are vehicle ramming and active shooting.”

French Quarter Management District and the city did not quickly respond to requests for commentary on the report. City officials have defended the security protocols on Bourbon Street and characterized the New Year’s attacker as determined to inflict harm regardless of protections.

Reports concerning the ISIS-inspired assault in New Orleans released by multiple law enforcement bodies, both state and federal, illustrate apprehensions regarding potential imitation schemes.

The reports did not disclose any fresh insights about Shamsud-Din Jabbar or his assault, but indicated that it was the second-deadliest assault on American soil associated with a foreign terrorist entity since 9/11, with the most lethal being the Pulse nightclub incident in 2016 in Orlando, Florida.

The reports emphasized that Jabbar adhered to the directions found in ISIS publications and that replication incidents are a continuing worry because of the inexpensive and susceptible ways to attack. 

An NYPD assessment highlights the necessity for blocker vehicles on roadways, employing heavy blocks as delineators and bollards on sidewalks to avert vehicles encroaching upon avenues crowded with pedestrians or parade paths.

Turo’s CEO Andre Haddad stated that the organization has not identified any link between the Las Vegas and New Orleans New Year’s Day events, and they are concentrating on assisting those impacted.

Both the vehicle employed in the New Orleans ramming incident and the Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion in Las Vegas were leased through the car-sharing service Turo.

“My initial thoughts are with the families of the victims. We are genuinely heartbroken for them. This feels incredibly unjust,” Haddad expressed on CNBC this morning.

The company’s inquiries revealed that both individuals had unblemished criminal histories, valid driver’s permits, and “there were no warning signs.”

“No one would have marked them as a security concern. So it’s a very tough scenario to navigate,” he mentioned.

He emphasized that the company maintains a remarkably strong safety history “with only a 0.1% serious incident rate, which I believe is at the forefront of the industry.”

He stated that business operations have not been influenced.

“Honestly, I haven’t been examining our metrics extensively. My primary focus has been on the investigation. Our team has come together to support law enforcement and uncover the details of what transpired, so as far as I can observe, superficially, there hasn’t been any significant disruption.”

BEAUMONT, Texas — Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s high school companions referred to him as “Sham” — an accomplished student with a reserved nature and a promising future ahead. He advanced to become an exemplary soldier in the Army, where his diligence and attitude impressed his superior during a deployment in Afghanistan.

“He was an exceptional soldier, someone who exhibited discipline and commitment,” the commander, Rich Groen, shared on social media.

However, in recent years, as Jabbar endeavored to ascend the career ladder, his personal life began to unravel. He encountered severe financial issues and went through a third divorce. At some point, he succumbed to the influence of the Islamic State, the terrorist organization recognized as ISIS.

On New Year’s Eve, Jabbar, 42, operated a rented truck from Houston to New Orleans, authorities reported, sharing videos online during the journey in which he declared his allegiance to ISIS. Upon reaching Bourbon Street, he placed two improvised explosive devices and then returned to his truck and barreled into partygoers, claiming 14 lives before being shot and killed by police in a shootout.

Read the complete account here.

Louisiana State University women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey became overwhelmed with emotion as she spoke to journalists last evening, stating that the Bourbon Street incident is “so close to home.”

“There were children from our area, Baton Rouge. Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s so close to home, it just hits you directly in the face. And you become emotional because I truly cannot fathom what those families are enduring right now,” she remarked. “You only pray. That’s all you can do is just pray, pray, pray that somehow, someway, they can navigate through this and carry on with their lives.”

A moment of silence was observed for the lives lost in the New Year’s Day New Orleans incident before last night’s game in Arkansas. 

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will be visiting New Orleans on Monday, the White House disclosed today. 

They will mourn with families and community members affected by the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street and meet with ground officials. 

The sibling of the driver in the New Year’s Day terrorist incident on Bourbon Street in New Orleans conveyed his shock regarding his brother’s behavior, mentioning there were no warning signs he had observed before the event. 

“Our hearts, prayers and thoughts are with those families, the victims, and those who were present. … It’s a tragedy,” Abdur Rahem Jabbar reported to NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston. “This wasn’t the man I recognized. This wasn’t the father, the son that I knew. And this does not represent Islam, Muslims, or the Muslim community.”

“I comprehend that people desire answers, but we are just as confounded as the rest of the world,” he added.

He mentioned that his brother, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, grew up in Beaumont and resided in Houston. He has three children and dealt with multiple divorces. He also encountered financial difficulties.

“Sham was convinced that his Islamic beliefs informed him that socializing in places like New Orleans was not virtuous,” Abdur Rahem Jabbar stated. “However, he never presented any warning signs prior to this.”