By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) — The FBI identified the suspect accused of ramming a pickup truck into New Year's partygoers early Wednesday morning as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, amid an ongoing investigation into the terror attack that killed at least 10 people.
After ramming a Ford pickup truck into the crowd, Jabbar exited the vehicle and opened fire on police, prompting officers to return fire, the bureau said in a statement.
Jabbar was pronounced dead at the scene, and two officers were transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries they sustained in the shootout.
Jabbar was a US citizen from Texas, the FBI said, adding that a Daesh/ISIS terror group flag was located inside the vehicle.
"The FBI is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations," it said. "We are aggressively running down all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject."
Multiple weapons and a potential improvised explosive device were found inside the truck. Other potential explosive devices were located in the French Quarter while bomb technicians were working "to determine if any of these devices are viable, and they will work to render those devices safe."
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said he had been "continually briefed" by his senior law enforcement and national security officials throughout the morning "regarding the horrific incident" that unfolded early Wednesday morning and expressed gratitude to local police whose response prevented "even greater death and injury."
"I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind," the president said in a statement.
"I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities," he added.
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.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the fatal incident during a news conference as a "terrorist attack."
The FBI has taken the lead in the ongoing investigation into the attack as a suspected act of terrorism. Officials are expected to brief reporters at 1 p.m. (1700GMT).