As the clock struck midnight, and the calendars changed to 2025, many celebrated laughing, drinking and watching the ball drop. Not shortly after, the parties on Bourbon Street in New Orleans turned dark and bloody, and the nightlife scene changed forever.
After the crowd of over 1,000 people flooded out of Bourbon Street, early New Year’s Day, the late crowds were left partying. At approximately 3:15 a.m., a white pickup truck plowed through barricades and onto the street, injuring over 30 people and killing 14. The suspect later died in a shooting altercation with the police.
Later that day in Las Vegas, Nevada, right outside of the Trump International Hotel, a Tesla Cybertruck imploded. There was great chaos and confusion as the truck erupted into flames. Many citizens were wondering if the two events had any correlation with each other. Turns out, both men behind the attacks had served in the US ARMY, and at the same base. Lastly, it has recently been discovered that they used the same app to rent the vehicles. A motive behind the Cyber Truck attack has not been revealed.
The attacker has been named as Shamsud-Din Habbar. Habbar was 42 years old, from Texas, previously served in the US ARMY and was employed at an accountancy firm when discharged from the military. He had graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in computer information systems. Habbar allegedly had three previous marriages and had children with two of them.
More information continues to come out, but it is believed that Habbar’s original plan was to set off bombs on the street earlier than 3:15 a.m. Earlier that day on Dec. 31, Habbar had planted explosives in a cooler, left it on the street, then changed his attire and returned in the truck. The truck was later found with multiple ISIS flags, both displayed on the inside and outside of his vehicle. This attack has been named an “act of terrorism” and investigators are working to find a connection between the flags, organization and attack.
The 14 victims from New Orleans were nurses, mothers, fathers, siblings, athletes, students, etc. They were people who were set to change the world, but, instead, were taken too soon from a tragic, selfish act of violence. They have been identified as; Kareem Badawi, Tiger Bech, Drew Dauphin, Billy DiMaio, Hubert Gauthreaux, Matthew Tenedorio, Nikyra Dedeaux, Reggie Hunter, Nicole Perez, Terrence Kenedy and the rest remain unnamed. A memorial has already been set up on Bourbon Street for citizens to leave gifts, flowers and their condolences to the victims and their families.