What has Happened:

• Early on January 1st, at least 15 people were killed and dozens injured when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd during the New Year’s celebration in New Orleans.
• The FBI is investigating this incident as an “act of terrorism.”
• The FBI has identified the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, as a 42-year-old Texas man and Army veteran.
• Law enforcement sources said that the suspect, who was killed in a shoot-out with officers, had an ISIS flag with him at the time of the attack (the FBI is investigating potential associations with terrorist organizations).
• The FBI also said that it doesn’t think the driver was “solely responsible” because weapons, as well as “potential improvised explosive devices,” were found in the vehicle and officials also located IEDs in the area.
• The Sugar Bowl, scheduled to be played on the 1st, was postponed until the 2nd of January and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry issued an emergency declaration in anticipation of the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for February in New Orleans.

Why it Matters:

“Most importantly, we must acknowledge that terrorism in its many forms (both kinetic and non-kinetic) will never be eliminated or determined irrelevant. As the investigation continues, we’ll know more about the motivation of the attack. Regardless, all forms of terrorism require a network of inspiration and support. Where isolation occurs, virtual access to a ‘community’ of shared interests and beliefs provides a readily available justification for action. There is no ‘lone wolf’ anymore. More facts to follow, but terrorism still exists.” – General Spider Marks

“It is likely premature to assess motives, motivations, and linkages. However, the ‘vehicle as a weapon’ TTP (tactics, techniques, and procedures) that we have seen used with devastating effect in Europe (and the U.S.), although not new, now creates yet another attack vector which local, state, and federal law enforcement must plan for at events such as the gathering we saw in New Orleans. Individuals suffering from political or personal disenfranchisement can now leverage the ubiquity of motor vehicles to inflict great harm in virtually any setting, since most security plans only focus on keeping vehicles away from critical nodes or VIPs.” – General John Evans

“The intel community will be focused on any reflections on the attack which normally would happen within the first 24-36 hours. Given the domestic nature of the attack, I would expect a joint White House/FBI announcement in the near-term if there is a foreign nexus, otherwise updates will likely remain in law enforcement channels. We become less vigilant with each passing day. Significant calendar events (New Year’s) and major public events require greater vigilance, which means increased funding for the security forces that protect all of us daily. Moreover, it will require greater tolerance by the public regarding the associated delays of enhanced force protection. As this unfolds, it will be key to uncover the attacker’s network (domestic and/or foreign) and to determine if there are any foreign connections (that include nation state involvement) that may have assisted or motivated the attacker(s).” – General Robert Ashley

“It is too early to say anything decisive, but if news accounts are in any way accurate then: 1) more people than just the driver were involved in NOLA; 2) this terror cell spent time preparing and planting IEDs; and 3) NOLA was changing out its bollards blocking vehicular traffic from Bourbon Street and were months into the project with a targeted completion date before the 2025 Super Bowl, but not before the New Year’s celebrations or the Sugar Bowl. In the absence of the bollards, a police vehicle was used to block the entrance to Bourbon Street, but the killer avoided the blocking vehicle by simply driving onto the sidewalk. What is unknown is whether the NOLA event is connected to what now looks like a suicide vehicle bombing outside the Trump Tower in Las Vegas. Both attacks used vehicles that were rented through the app Turo. As Spider points out, terrorism is with us and won’t go away. We can harden likely targets, we can put up barriers (like the bollards) before key events, we can increase guard forces for key facilities and key events, and we can use intelligence and law enforcement methods to penetrate terrorist cells.” – General Rick Waddell

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