Friday, January 3

Investigations are taking place after 15 people were killed and another 35 people were injured during a New Year's Day massacre in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The attack took place on Bourbon Street, a famous New Orleans road known for its history, bars, and nightclubs, at 3:16 am. It began when a man in a pickup truck slowly drove up the adjacent Canal Street, staying inconspicuous until he reached the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, where he came to a stop. While Bourbon Street was blocked off by a police car, the truck is seen swerving right on cameras, driving onto the sidewalk and avoiding the barricade.

In the following moments of the video, it can be seen rapidly accelerating down the sidewalk of Bourbon Street, bulldozing the crowd of people milling about. All the civilians could do was watch as the truck continued speeding down the sidewalk, mowing down everyone on the left side of the street.

The truck, a electric Ford F-150 Lightning, finally came to a stop when it crashed into a boom lift in the middle of the road, shattering the entire front end of the vehicle. Pedestrians who had ducked out of the way cautiously edged out of their hiding spots, attempting to process the situation and begin mourning the dead. However, the man stepped out of the truck to find law enforcement officers rushing down the street, and he quickly opened fire with an assault rifle. Onlookers scrambled back into shops and stores as the culprit fired at police officers, who fired back and killed the man on the spot.

15 people were killed, including the driver, in the attack. Investigators and police officers stormed the scene just minutes after, working to secure the area before identifying the dead. First, the attacker was found to be Texas native Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who is also an Army veteran. Inside his truck, they found various explosives and an ISIS flag. ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is a Sunni jihadist group known for acts of terrorism around the world that have killed hundreds of people. Two explosive devices were later discovered in two coolers within the area, which is known as the French Quarter, and investigators determined that Jabbar himself had placed the explosives just hours before changing clothes and driving the pickup truck. A remote detonator was also found inside his car, but he never set them off.

Jabbar's house in Houston also yielded similar results, as investigators found materials used to build explosives at home. The family of the attacker stated that Jabbar was always a calm, kind man who never showed any signs of going through any sort of mental issue, and they had never talked about ISIS. However, his records show that Jabbar was divorced twice, his second wife obtained a restraining order against him, and he was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in 2015 and 2020. The FBI is still trying to find out how and when he went through the transformation from the man he used to be to the terrorist who conducted the attack.

Jabbar also posted several videos on his Facebook page in the hours before the attack which gave various pieces of information to the FBI as well. In the videos, he detailed how he was inspired to join ISIS just before the summer of 2024 and how he was actually planning to invite his family over to a celebration before killing them. However, he decided that killing his family would not put the supremacy of Islamic beliefs in the spotlight, which he wanted news headlines to focus on.

Initially, one of the unusual pieces of the puzzle was why the driver was easily able to enter Bourbon Street, which is usually blocked off. However, investigators found that a report from 2019 strongly recommended the government of New Orleans to replace the old bollards which usually block off Bourbon Street. Due to this, the government was in the process of replacing them ahead of the Super Bowl next month, but they did not put any temporary safety measures into place. The Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at Caesars Superdome, a massive stadium just miles from Bourbon Street.

In addition, the 2025 Sugar Bowl, a major college playoff football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Notre Dame, was postponed to the following day, as it was also scheduled to take place at the Caesars Superdome. Before the game, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the attack. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish later won the game, 23-10.

The street was later shut down as law enforcement attempted to uncover additional evidence, but it was later reopened. A memorial covered in flowers and candles is now growing near Bourbon Street, and a vigil will take place tomorrow at 7 pm local time to mourn the victims of the deadly attack.

Fact of the Day: Starfish primarily eat mollusks like oysters and clams, and they eat them in a disturbing way. First, the starfish uses its suction-cupped feet to open the mollusk. Then, the starfish ejects its stomach through its mouth, and the stomach's digestive juices break down the inside of the shellfish. Lastly, the starfish sucks the stomach back into its mouth with the mollusk meat, providing it with a meal.

Quote of the Day: Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey. (Babs Hoffman)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Potpourri (noun, poh-pur-REE) - Potpourri is a mixture of dried flower petals, leaves, and spices that is used to make a room smell pleasant. When used figuratively potpourri refers to a collection of various different things.

In a Sentence: Her favorite winter potpourri includes cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel.