New Orleans attack: Hunt for other suspects — what we know so far

A driver behind the wheel of a pickup truck rammed into a crowd of New Orleans revellers on Bourbon Street early on New Year’s Day, killing 15 people in what the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism.

After the vehicle stopped, the driver emerged from the truck and opened fire on responding officers, New Orleans police said.

Here is what we know so far:

Death toll now stands at 15

The New Orleans coroner now says 15 people were killed when a driver deliberately struck people in the French Quarter early on New Year’s Day.

Authorities previously said 10 had died. The driver was fatally shot by police.

The coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, says it will take several days to conduct autopsies. Once those are done and relatives are notified, officials will release the victims' names, McKenna said in a statement.

Road closed leading to suspect's address

Law enforcement officers have closed off a road leading to a Houston residence that records indicate was a recent address of the suspect in the New Orleans attack.

The white mobile home was behind a gate and in a small neighbourhood where goats and ducks were roaming the grass.

One victim, 18, wanted to be a nurse

A Mississippi man who was celebrating New Year's Eve in New Orleans says his friend who dreamed of becoming a nurse was among the people killed in an attack on Bourbon Street.

Zion Parsons, 18, said a vehicle suddenly appeared and he watched it hit his friend, 18-year-old Nikyra Dedeaux. At least 10 people were killed.

Parsons described the crowd scattering and the gruesome aftermath.

“Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and hollering,” Parsons said

He said he watched as authorities put a tarp over Dedeaux’s body. He later called Dedeaux’s family to tell them what had happened.

“I hadn’t had time to cry up until I called her mother and she asked me, ‘Where’s my baby’,” Parsons said.

“That broke me.”

FBI identifies driver

The FBI confirmed that it has identified the driver who killed 10 people and injured dozens in New Orleans as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar. Investigators are working to gather additional information about Jabbar’s background and investigating an Islamic State flag that was with the vehicle, the FBI said.

Islamic State group flag found in vehicle used in New Orleans attack, FBI says

An Islamic State group flag was recovered in the vehicle used by the attacker who killed at least 10 people early on Wednesday (local time) in New Orleans, the FBI said in a statement.

The FBI says it is still investigating the attacker, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen from Texas, to determine “potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations.”

Jabbar was killed in a firefight with police following the attack around 3.15am in an area teeming with New Year’s revellers, the FBI said.

Investigators were working to gather additional information about Jabbar’s background and investigating an unfurled black flag that was with the vehicle, the officials said.

A photo circulated among law enforcement officials showed a bearded Jabbar wearing camouflage next to the truck after he was killed by police.

The officials were not authorised to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Officials seek additional suspects

Officials say residents and visitors should feel safe in New Orleans even as they have repeatedly acknowledged that they are aggressively seeking additional possible suspects in the attack.

During a news conference, Governor Jeff Landry bristled at a question about how officials were confident that Jabbar did not act alone, saying, “Why would we tell you?”

But a Louisiana State Police bulletin obtained by The Associated Press and circulated among law enforcement contained a possible clue. The document said surveillance footage captured three men and a woman placing one of multiple improvised explosive devices.

Truck used in attack rented via app

The pickup truck used in the attack was rented via Turo, an app that connects drivers, known as “guests,” with vehicle owners, known as “hosts,” according to Steve Webb, the company’s vice president of communications.

“We are heartbroken to learn that one of our host’s vehicles was involved in this awful incident,” Webb said in an email.

“We are actively partnering with the FBI. We are not currently aware of anything in this guest’s background that would have identified him as a trust and safety threat to us at the time of the reservation.”

Video of people placing an explosive device

Investigators have reviewed video showing three men and a woman placing an improvised explosive device in connection with the car attack that killed at least 10 people in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

That’s according to a Louisiana State Police bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.

The revelation could help explain why officials at a Wednesday news conference said that they were aggressively hunting for additional suspects and did not believe the driver of the pickup truck, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, acted alone.

Attacker drove around police car

Authorities say that the driver of the truck that rammed into the crowd in New Orleans drove onto a sidewalk, going around a police car that was positioned to block vehicular traffic and protect Bourbon Street revellers.

A barrier system designed to prevent vehicle attacks was undergoing repairs in preparation for the Super Bowl, which is being played in the city in February.

Sugar Bowl postponed after New Orleans attack

The Sugar Bowl has been postponed for 24 hours .

AllState Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley says the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame will be held Thursday. It had been scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Hundley says the decision was made in the interest of public safety.

FBI also believes attacker had help

The FBI says it does not believe that the Texas man who killed at least 10 people in a suspected New Orleans terror attack acted alone.

Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said at a news conference that officials are actively seeking any possible associates of the man, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar.

Governor urges people to stay away from French Quarter

Louisiana’s governor says people should stay away from the French Quarter because of the active investigation.

Governor Jeff Landry posted on the social media platform X that authorities face “a fluid situation” as they investigate.

Landry posted, “We recognise that there are tourists around us, and we urge all to avoid the French Quarter as this is an active investigation.”