President Biden, First Lady to Travel to New Orleans on Jan. 6 in Wake of Attack

‘Our hearts are with the people in New Orleans after the despicable attack that occurred in the early morning hours,’ President Joe Biden said on Thursday.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in the East Room of the White House on Dec. 16, 2024. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to New Orleans on Jan. 6 to mourn with families and community members following the New Year’s Day attack that left at least 15 people dead and more than 30 injured.

At about 3:15 a.m. local time on Jan. 1, a man rammed a pick-up truck into city-goers on Canal and Bourbon streets in New Orleans.

After stopping the truck, the suspect emerged from the vehicle and opened fire on law enforcement officers, who returned fire, according to New Orleans police.

The man “was struck and subsequently declared deceased on scene,” the New Orleans Police Department said in a statement.

FBI officials named 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar as the suspect, who died at the scene. The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism by the FBI.

Biden addressed the attack while speaking from Camp David on Thursday.

“I know I can speak for all Americans when I say our hearts are with the people in New Orleans after the despicable attack that occurred in the early morning hours,” Biden said. “Our nation grieves with you. We’re going to stand with you as you mourn and as you heal in the weeks to come.”

The president thanked first responders and law enforcement personnel who responded to the attack and prevented the suspect from killing or injuring more people. Biden said the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and FBI are “working nonstop to investigate this heinous act.”

Biden said the FBI told him that the suspect, Jabbar, is a U.S. citizen who was born in Texas and served in the U.S. Army on active duty for many years.

FBI officials say Jabbar posted videos on social media celebrating the terrorist group ISIS and expressing a “desire to kill” ahead of the attack, Biden added. An ISIS flag was found in the vehicle.

“The situation is very fluid, and the investigation is at a preliminary stage ... the law enforcement and intelligence community are continuing to look for any connections, associations, or coconspirators,” Biden said. “We have nothing additional to report at this time. The investigation is continuing to be active, and no one should jump to conclusions.”

The White House said it would release additional details on Biden’s Jan. 6 New Orleans trip soon.

President-elect Donald Trump wrote in a Jan. 1 post on the social media platform Truth Social: “Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.