Tragedy In New Orleans
By: Fasia Khan, Ayah Mohammed, and Sofia Penafiel
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Early on New Year’s day, a man identified as 42 year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd of party-goers and opened fire on the street, killing 14 people and leaving 35 injured.
Pictures of those killed in the shooting (Fox 8 News)
Jabbar, a citizen from Texas, went on a killing spree that has been called an act of terrorism by the FBI. The suspect was an army veteran who claimed to be a member of ISIS. Jabbar had an ISIS flag, an ice chest with pipe bombs, and a long range rifle. He used explosive compounds that needed to be set off with a detonator. This is important as a detonator isn't easily accessible to an everyday citizen. Eventually, the New Orleans police officers shot down Jabbar. This received some backlash to which Anne Kirkpatrick, the superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, responded, “All officers are faced with ‘shoot, don’t shoot.’ And this was clearly within the law and clearly, solidly within policy.”
According to AP News, bodycam footage that was released shows Jabbar shooting from behind an airbag as several officers surround his truck. Currently, some citizens are afraid and some citizens are creating conspiracy theories. The website known as Anti-Defamation League (ADF) discusses a conspiracy theory that the government is either hiding the truth about the attack or possibly coordinated the attack itself. This theory comes from another incident where a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in Las Vegas–both people involved were veterans, suggesting that this is “an inside job by the U.S. military.” These sort of conspiracy theorists are considered to be extremists since they promote false narratives that are insensitive to the people involved.
Fortunately there are people willing to provide aid. After this tragic event, United Way launched the New Orleans Relief Fund, raising over $600,000 to support those affected. The fund allocated $15,000 to families who lost loved ones and $3,500 to individuals who were injured, aiming to assist with medical and logistical costs. While the healing process will take time, the support of the community has already shown a strong impact, as demonstrated by United Way and its generous donors. Recovery is a process that takes time, but the determination of New Orleans will aid in the healing.
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