Expert: Terrorists often use speeding trucks as a tactic in New Orleans

Video footage from Bourbon Street obtained by Planet Chronicle Digital reveals terror suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar driving his electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck at high speed towards a group of New Year's celebrants, who just barely manages to evade the fast-moving vehicle, at approximately 3:15 a.m. on January 1st.

Jabbar, who drove his vehicle through a crowd and opened fire on police, was fatally shot by authorities, resulting in the deaths of 14 people. Officials described the incident as a terrorist attack.

According to Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector and Planet Chronicle contributor, a 500-pound vehicle traveling at high speed in an urban area is extremely destructive. It's evident that this tactic is increasingly popular among terrorists worldwide, as there has been a recent increase in the number of such incidents.

Police departments nationwide have changed their standard operating procedures because "waiting for the feds to handle counterterrorism is no longer sufficient."

Mauro stated that electric vehicles are so quiet that Jabbar might have deliberately chosen to rent an electric vehicle to catch his victims off guard.

The manager at Krystal, a fast-food restaurant on Bourbon Street, stated that New Year's celebrations in the French Quarter were going smoothly compared to previous years. Despite some fun, visitors were not excessively rowdy, he remembered.

Authorities installed temporary barriers to block traffic at certain street entrances in the French Quarter around Christmastime as they planned to repair and upgrade their permanent barriers, according to multiple business employees located near the entrance of Bourbon Street who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

On New Year's Eve, the barrier at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets was not upright, allowing vehicles to drive over it and onto Bourbon Street. A video shows Jabbar driving a rented pickup truck off Canal Street and around a police vehicle blockade at the entrance of Bourbon Street before hitting revelers.

"We do have to accept the fact that they made mistakes." — Paul Mauro

"Even if you take precautions, you cannot guarantee a 100% successful large event. We must accept this reality. However, we must also acknowledge that mistakes were made. Mauro posed a question: If you have New Orleans New Year's, which he has personally experienced, and it is chaotic with a large crowd, then you have the Sugar Bowl, the Super Bowl, and Mardi Gras, who made the decision to remove the barriers for upgrading?"

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On New Year's Eve, Kevin Scott, a charcoal chef at Felix's restaurant in Bourbon Street, was working when he left shortly before Jabbar drove his truck into the crowd. Scott described the crowd as similar to the one he would see during Mardi Gras.

The following day, numerous individuals reported seeing "bodies scattered about" and people "screaming and fleeing in panic."

"It's a tragedy in New Orleans." — Kevin Scott

Scott was surprised to see the number of people on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter on Thursday afternoon after officials reopened the area.

While expressing his sympathy for the victims' families, Scott's emotions overwhelmed him and he broke down.

He stated, "I simply hope that we can all unite and strive to make our world a better place."

On Thursday, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia stated that authorities believe Jabbar was driven by ISIS and acted independently. Officials discovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in different areas of the French Quarter following the terrorist attack. These devices were placed in coolers.

The FBI stated at a news conference on Thursday that prior to his rampage in New Orleans, Jabbar shared videos on Facebook expressing his support for ISIS.

Raia stated that in the first video, Jabbar revealed that he initially intended to harm only his family and friends, but was worried that the media would not emphasize the "war between the believers and the disbelievers" in the news headlines.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Christina Coulter and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.