'Cowardly': PM Modi Condemns 'Terrorist' Attack In New Orleans On New Year
PM Narendra Modi condemned the New Orleans attack and stated his thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condemned the attack in the United States city of New Orleans on New Year, which claimed 15 lives, calling it a "cowardly terrorist attack".
"We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy," PM Modi said in a post on X.
We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 2, 2025
According to a report by the BBC, the US investigators are believing that the attack was not carried out alone by the suspect.
At least 15 people were killed and dozens were injured on the New Year's Day after the 42-year-old suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a pick-up truck into a crowd gathered on Bourbon Street for the 2025 celebrations. He was a US citizen from Texas and identified as a US military veteran.
He exited the vehicle and began firing a weapon after ramming the truck into the crowd. He was later shot dead by the police at the scene.
FBI says a flag of the Islamic State group was found inside the vehicle he drove along with two improvised explosive devices that were found nearby, BBC reported.
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stated that the driver went around the barricades and was driving the truck at a "very high speed" in a "very intentional" manner, Al Jazeera reported.
"This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could," Kirkpatrick said, adding that he was "hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did."
Police are also investigating if there is a possible link between the New Orleans incident and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck on Wednesday outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, which claimed one life and injured many.