President Joe Biden addressed the nation Wednesday evening following what appears to be an act of terrorism in New Orleans that left some 15 people dead and dozens more injured.
According to reports, the FBI identified the attacker as Shamsud Din Jabbar, an American citizen from Texas and a U.S. Army veteran who appears to have been radicalized by Muslim extremism.
“For all Americans, when I say our hearts are with the people of New Orleans after the despicable attack that occurred in the early morning hours. To all the families of those who were killed, to all those who were injured, to all the people of New Orleans who are grieving today, I want you to know I grieve with you. Our nation grieves with you,” Biden said to begin his address.
“We’re going to stand with you as you mourn and as you heal in the weeks to come. I want to thank our brave first responders and law enforcement personnel who stopped the attacker in his tracks before he could kill or injure even more people. I want to thank you to everyone at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, including the FBI, for working nonstop to investigate this heinous act,” he added.
Louisiana authorities, including Gov. Jeff Landry, initially labeled the attack as terrorism, but FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Alethea Duncan countered that early on, saying the agency could not confirm that. Since then, however, the FBI has said it was investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.
“The FBI also reported to me that mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill, a desire to kill,” Biden said.
“The ISIS flag was found in his vehicle, which he rented to conduct this attack. Possible explosives were found in the vehicle as well, and more explosives were found nearby. The situation is very fluid, and the investigation has a preliminary stage,” Biden continued.
He added that no one should make any assumptions about the attack.
“And the fact is that right now — excuse me, there you go — the law enforcement and intelligence community are continuing to look for any connections, associations, or co-conspirators. We have nothing additional to report at this time. The investigation is continuing to be active, and no one should jump to conclusions,” said the outgoing president.
“Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there’s any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans. Thus far, there’s nothing to report on that score at this time. I’ve directed my team to make sure every resource — every resource is made available to federal, state, and local law enforcement to complete the investigation in New Orleans quickly and to make sure there’s no remaining threat to the American people,” Biden continued.
“And we’ll — we will support the people of New Orleans as they begin the hard work of healing. New Orleans is a place unlike any other place in the world. It’s a city full of charm and joy,” he said.
“So many people around the world love New Orleans because of its history, its culture, and, above all, its people. So I know, while this person committed a terrible assault on the city, the spirit of our New Orleans will never, never, never be defeated. It always will shine forth,” Biden noted, adding: “We’ve seen that time and time again throughout its history. And I know we’ll see it again in the days and weeks ahead. May God bless the people of New Orleans.”
The Sugar Bowl, part of the College Football Playoff tournament between Notre Dame and Georgia, was initially scheduled for Wednesday evening, but the game was postponed until 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday.
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