The suspect involved in the deadly terrorist attack in New Orleans has been identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, a senior law enforcement source told The Guardian.

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Jabbar, aged 42, is a US citizen living in Texas. Reports indicate he has a prior criminal record that includes theft and driving with a suspended licence.

The truck used to kill 10 in the massacre came into the US from Mexico through Eagle Pass, Texas, over a month ago, though some earlier reports erroneously said that it entered two days before the incident.

Also read: ‘Act of pure evil,’ Trump links deadly New Orleans truck attack to illegal immigration

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During the attack, Jabbar was wearing body armour and driving a rental truck that carried a black flag. According to the FBI, a flag for an IS group was found in the pickup truck driven into the crowd.

Reacting to the incident, outgoing US President Joe Biden said, “I have been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight."

Also read: New Orleans attack: 10 killed as man ploughs truck into New Year crowd; suspect shot dead

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He added, “The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing 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.”

What happened during the New Orleans attack?

Police said that a man drove his pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street at approximately 3:15 am on Wednesday (January 1). The attack resulted in 10 deaths and left over 35 people injured.

Also read: What we know so far about New Year’s day attack in New Orleans

New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick described the driver as being “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.” She further added that the driver’s intention appeared to be to “run over as many people as he could.” Additionally, two police officers were shot by the suspect, but both are now in stable condition.

The FBI said that the suspect died following a gunfight with the police. After the truck came to a stop, Jabbar opened fire on officers, who returned fire, leading to his death.

(With inputs from agencies)