FBI does not believe New Orleans truck-ramming suspect acted alone

WASHINGTON

The FBI said Wednesday that it does not believe the man who rammed a pickup truck into New Year's partygoers, killing at least 10 people, acted alone.

"We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates," Alethea Duncan, the FBI assistant special agent in charge of the New Orleans field office, told reporters at a press briefing.

"We cannot go into details about the subject's history. What I can tell you is the person was an Army veteran. We believe he was honorably discharged, but we're working through this process, figuring out all this information," Duncan added.

She was referring to Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas whom the bureau previously identified as the suspect in the terror attack.

When asked how many accomplices authorities believe Jabbar had, Duncan said, "It's a range of suspects."

According to sources cited by ABC News, New Orleans police have reviewed surveillance footage that appears to show several individuals planting potential explosive devices prior to the vehicle attack.

Authorities are working to identify the individuals seen on camera and bring them into custody. Meanwhile, steel barricades were not up on Bourbon Street at the time of the incident.

State of emergency

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency to facilitate cooperation between federal, state, and local agencies "to bring all of the resources necessary to get this city safe." He further mobilized a military police company to assist law enforcement.

"It is important for our citizens and guests of the state to know that we're doing everything we can to secure their safety in this city. We want to make it clear: the Superdome and the surrounding area are safe," he said.

The Sugar Bowl, an American college football championship game that was to be played at the Superdome on New Year's Day, has been delayed until Thursday.

At least 10 people were killed and 35 other victims injured when a truck plowed through the heart of the French Quarter around 3.15 a.m. (0915GMT) Wednesday morning. The storied area is popular with tourists and is a hotspot for celebrations around major holidays, especially New Year's Eve.

Police said the attacker drove the truck onto a sidewalk and around a police car that was parked to block traffic from entering the area to carry out the attack. About 400 officers were deployed to protect the area.

"This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil. And when we face evil, we have a choice. We can run in fear, or we can indeed stand in strength," police chief Anne Kirkpatrick said. "We have a plan. We know what to do. We are going to get these people."

Multiple weapons, a Daesh/ISIS terror group flag, and a potential improvised explosive device were found inside the truck, according to the FBI.

Two other potential improvised explosive devices were found in the French Quarter, and were “rendered safe,” according to Duncan.