Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

15 Killed, 35 Injured as Truck Slams Into Crowd in Bourbon Street, New Orleans; Sugar Bowl Rescheduled to Thursday at Superdome in New Orleans; U.S. Senator Vows Answers Will Be Provided On Attack; FBI Investigating Tesla Cybertruck Blast Near Trump Hotel; at Least 10 People Injured in New York Drive-by Shooting; Germany's New Year Celebrations Marred by Fireworks Mishaps, Five Killed; Gaza Officials Say at Least 23 Killed in Strikes on New Year's Day; Multiple Bursts of Arctic Blast Expected for Eastern U.S. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 02, 2025 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:21]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world and streaming on CNN Max. I'm Paula Newton. And we do begin with breaking news in two separate New Year's Day attacks here in the United States. President Joe Biden says investigators are looking into whether there is any possible link between a truck ramming that killed more than a dozen people in New Orleans by a suspect with apparent ties to ISIS.

And a Tesla truck explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Multiple law enforcement sources tell CNN the suspects in both incidents had military backgrounds. We want to go first to New Orleans where the FBI is investigating the ramming attack and the historic French Quarter as an act of terrorism. Police say at least 15 people were killed when the suspect drove his truck down Bourbon Street at a high rate of speed at about 3:00 a.m. local time.

Now, he's been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran. They say he made recordings on the drive from Texas, where he apparently was living to Louisiana and those recordings were about joining ISIS and killing his family. Now we should warn viewers, much of the video from the scene is incredibly graphic. Police say they found an ISIS flag on Jabbar's truck along with improvised explosive devices which they believe were made at an Airbnb rental in Louisiana.

According to the FBI, a search is underway at a property linked to Jabbar back in Houston, Texas. Video shows the white Ford F150 making that sharp turn onto Bourbon Street, past police barricades and onto the sidewalk. The driver continued down the street for several blocks, mowing down pedestrians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: The two officers were wounded in the shootout that killed the suspect. More than 30 people were injured in the ramming attack. Authorities say they do not believe that Jabbar acted alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZ MURRILL, LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: We also have some people who are fighting for their lives right now in the hospital. This was a heinous act, a heinous, cowardly act, and we will find them, and we will bring them to justice.

REP. TROY CARTER (D-LA): Right now, the entire French Quarter, particularly Bourbon Street, is an active crime scene. We have federal, local and state officials who are embedded in this community looking for additional evidence, looking to make sure that there's no IEDs. We know that there were at least two that were found and detonated without incident, and now what we have is a complete use of every resource.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: More now on the investigation and the fallout from the attack from CNN's Omar Jimenez who's in New Orleans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sudden terror on Bourbon Street.

KIMBERLY STRICKLIN, WITNESS: There are just bodies and the screams you cannot think about. You know, when you hear that. It was chaos and very, very scary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything in the car is hitting. It's getting thrown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A vehicle ran through a crowd of people. There's multiple injuries, multiple casualties. They need you at Canal and Bourbon.

JIMINEZ (voice-over): Just hours after the clock struck midnight, the driver in a pickup truck went around barricades according to police, killing those celebrating New Year's Eve along the iconic street. At least 15 people were killed, dozens others injured.

ANNE E. KIRKPATRICK, NEW ORLEANS POLICE SUPERINDENT: This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil.

JIMINEZ (voice-over): The suspect identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old man from Texas who previously served in the U.S. military. He was allegedly driving a privately rented pickup truck from Touro, an Airbnb type rental site for cars. ALETHEA DUNCAN, FBI ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: An ISIS flag was located on the trailer hitch of the vehicle, and the FBI is working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.

JIMINEZ (voice-over): Once the vehicle stopped, the driver reportedly opened fire on responding police officers.

DUNCAN: Law enforcement returned fire and the subject was pronounced deceased at the scene. Two law enforcement officers were injured and transported to local hospitals.

[02:05:02]

JIMINEZ (voice-over): Witnesses are asking questions about why the city's steel mechanical barricades weren't up prior to the attack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was police there at the entrance, a lot of police there, but the metal barricades were not up.

LATOYA CANTRELL, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA MAYOR: Bollards were not up because they are near completion.

JIMINEZ (voice-over): The FBI, which has taken over the investigation, does not believe the suspect acted alone.

DUNCAN: We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.

JIMINEZ (voice-over): And the sugar bowl for college football, scheduled to be held in New Orleans this evening has been postponed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All agree that it's in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game for 24 hours.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Meanwhile, the U.S. president says the suspect's videos indicate he was inspired by ISIS and "especially the desire to kill." Joe Biden cautioned against jumping to any conclusions. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez picks up the story.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sudden terror on Bourbon Street.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Joe Biden on Wednesday, addressing the deadly attack in New Orleans, telling the families of the victims "the nation grieves with you." The President walked through some of the facts of the investigation, including, for example, that the suspect had been born in Texas, had served in the U.S. military, and that hours before the attack, had posted on social media saying that he had been inspired by ISIS.

The President, however, noting that the situation is, "very fluid" and is still in the preliminary stage. The President also noting that there are still questions that they are trying to answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: The law enforcement intelligence community are continuing to look for any connections, associations or coconspirators. We have nothing additional report at this time, the investigation is continuing to be active and no one should jump to conclusions. I directed my attorney general, the FBI director, the secretary of Homeland Security, head of the National Counterintelligence Terrorism Center and the intelligence community to work on this intensively until we have a full and complete information now again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now again, the President underscoring there that no one should jump to conclusions, but the President also noting and acknowledging the first responders as well as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice and those senior officials who kept him updated over the course of the day telling the American people at the conclusion of his brief remarks that he will continue to keep them informed.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.

NEWTON: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump released a statement. It read in part "Our hearts are with all the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump administration will fully support the city of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil."

Now earlier CNN's Brianna Keilar spoke with retired U.S. Army General Russel Honore. He's a Louisiana native and oversaw relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. He said he fears U.S. Law Enforcement is not sufficiently prepared for terrorist attacks like the one on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I do have concerns, because on any given day, a determined terrorist can attack a soft target. You know, Brianna, when I woke up this morning at 5:00 and I saw killing in the French Quarter. I thought it was another mass shooting, which Jane can attribute to you. Every now and then, somebody will come down at a major event and street crime, somebody will get automatic weapon and shoot a bunch of people.

That was my earlier thought. I said, oh, man, another mass shooting in the French Quarter at a bad time during a major event. But my perception, that's what it was. On the other hand, ended up being a terrorist attack. The police are well trained in trying to deal with street crime and gang type activity that may come to the French Quarter with a automatic weapon. We've had several of those incidents and they're well trained to respond to it.

I don't think they were as focused as we should until today on the potential of terrorist attack using vehicles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Joining me now from Los Angeles, Steve Moore. A CNN law enforcement contributor and retired FBI supervisory special agent. Thanks for joining us again. You know, last hour we had on a journalist who interviewed the suspected attacker, Jabbar, nearly a decade ago, as he was making that adjustment right from being an army veteran to -- just trying to again join civilian life.

And I'm wondering from you -- I mean, he clearly didn't see any signs then. Just thought it was completely normal. When the FBI is trying to put together a profile here, because, again, they want the profile because they want lessons learned, and they also want to understand why and how we executed this. What specifically will they be looking at this hour?

[02:10:06]

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: They're going to be looking at the transition to who -- from who he was to who he became, and all the steps along there. They're going to be looking at events in his life. They're going to be looking at business failures, business successes and see if there is a pattern and kind of a degradation of the character of the person who was that military personnel.

The -- what we've seen in the past is you're going to find people regardless of what they attribute it to. They tend to start feeling the need for violence, specifically threatening family members, frequently wives and children, before they even start to find another outlet for this. So, they're going to be looking at everything psychological and everything situational and financial in his life.

NEWTON: Yes. And that would be consistent with what CNN has already learned, that he did have recordings saying that apparently he had thought about hurting his family members and then decided to execute this kind of attack. I do want to talk to you about this issue, though, of accomplices, whether there were any where there aren't any. We're trying to move with the story by the hour here.

In terms of radicalizing someone online, that is completely different, right? Than actually giving material support.

MOORE: Absolutely. And in fact, that's the norm. That's what we've seen since I was in the bureau 40 years ago I started. That's what we've seen ever since then. Used to be shortwave radios. It used to be mailers and things like that. Now it's gotten to the internet, which was much more efficient at this. But if you are talking about self- radicalization, somebody who is immersing themselves in this kind of rhetoric, this kind of belief system and they become self-radicalized, that is not the same as material support.

And it's certainly not calling somebody a -- an accomplice, although there are certain times where you can say that this may have led to something, an illegal act. But I'm becoming concerned that the FBI isn't providing information on what they say are accomplices when this appears to so many to be a lone wolf attack.

NEWTON: Right. There hasn't been any hard evidence of that. And then we go to the other mystery of the day, as to whether or not there's any connection between what happened in Las Vegas and what happened in New Orleans. Now listen, there are a lot of things that are coincidental here, in terms of the similarities between what happened. What would you say to people who say, well, there must be a connection?

MOORE: Well, I'd say that the FBI agents who are in charge of this will certainly -- will certainly understand what you're -- what you're saying. They are reasonable people. It was -- they were both on January 1st. They were both apparently rental cars that they picked up from the same company. There were explosive -- improvised explosive devices, allegedly in both vehicles. So yes, there are these things.

And some people will say that's too much of a coincidence not to be real, but it -- but the FBI is going to look at it and they are going to determine if there's any chance they were -- they are related. And if there's not, they're not going to waste investigative resources on it. For instance, you now have the evidence -- the exploded evidence of the device in the Tesla car, and you would have the unexploded IED in the -- in the for lightning in New Orleans.

The FBI is going to compare those because bomb makers tend not to have 10 or 11 different ways they make bombs. They make them all the same way. And if these things are not in any way, shape or form the same, then that's going to start, you know, shifting the investigation a different way.

NEWTON: Interesting, just that the explosives themselves kind of give some indication of who might have put them together. I do -- I do want to ask you about what General Honore had just been saying and the fact that there is some accountability that needs to be taken by New Orleans law enforcement. Do you agree with that? Do you think there's more that could have been done here?

[02:15:02]

MOORE: I think there was more that could have been done prior to the event, but what else can you ask from officers that they put themselves in harm's way and return fire when they are out gunned? So, I understand what the general was saying but terrorist -- response to terrorist activities, I mean, it's going to be large casualty events. It's going to be people with heavy weapons or weapon of a vehicle which is a heavy weapon.

And those that police are doing a fairly good job of that, better than you would expect. There probably needs to be more training, but I thought this was about as good a response as you can get. But before a response, you have to have a prevention and I wouldn't give them a good grade at all on prevention. They say, well, the bollards were nearing completion. That's political talk, meaning we didn't get it done.

And that's frustrating for me because accountability and transparency says we learn from what we -- the mistakes. It's like an airliner crashes. Nobody tries to hide what the pilot's mistakes might have been or what the airliner manufacturers mistakes would have been, because that kind of non-transparency kills people. And so what we have to do in this law enforcement incident is find out honestly where we fell down.

NEWTON: Especially as there had been warnings and we had the incident as well in Germany just a few weeks ago. Steve Moore, we will leave it there for now.

MOORE: Absolutely.

NEWTON: Thanks so much.

MOORE: Thank you.

NEWTON: Now our coverage of the terror attack in New Orleans continues in just a moment. We're learning new details about the suspect and where federal authorities are focusing their investigation. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:27]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You hear the screech of tires and when I turn my head around, there's like a Yukon or Escalator, something just barreling down the street, bro., I kid you not like. Real life horror movie. Everything in the car is hitting. It's getting thrown. It's getting thrown up into the air and away and just -- or under the car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Yes. Absolutely frightening account there from a witness to the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured on Bourbon Street. Now, Federal authorities say law enforcement are searching a Houston location at this hour they believe is connected to the suspected attacker. A U.S. citizen from Texas and an Army veteran.

CNN's Kyung Lah reports on what we know about the suspect.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: The suspect behind the terror attack in New Orleans, up until several years ago, appeared to be quite normal. An Army veteran who went to college and worked in real estate and I.T. had started to have some financial troubles. He posted a YouTube video, though as recently as four years ago, where he described that he had been born in Texas, that he was trying to get this real estate company off the ground.

He identified himself as a veteran. We want to play you a short clip of this, even though this video has been taken down because it gives you a window into the background of this suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAMSUD DIN JABBAR, 42-YEAR-OLD ARMY VETERAN: So, I'm born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and now live in Houston and I've been here all my life with the exception of traveling for the military where I spent 10 years as a human resources specialist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: You're looking at a picture from the U.S. Army. It comes from a 2013 U.S. Army Facebook post that identified him as an Army Staff Sergeant working as an information technology team chief for the 82nd Airborne Division's first brigade combat team. Looking online, he appeared to have very much a normal background. He went to college. He went to Georgia State University. The university confirms that he did graduate with a bachelor's degree.

He worked in real estate in Texas for four years and then things started to change. There are divorce records that show in 2012 from his first wife. She sued him to try to get child support. And then in a second marriage, there was a filing that the suspect -- the would be suspect would eventually file, saying that he was tens of thousands of dollars in debt from his business, that he was at risk of foreclosure and that he had credit card debt, and that's why he was petitioning the judge to try to back out of some of those payments.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

NEWTON: Now, a resident in New Orleans who was on Bourbon Street on New Year's Eve described to CNN the harrowing aftermath of the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY COTHRAN, WITNESS: It was just unimaginable casualty. I mean, just the disfigurement and the bodies strong -- something you cannot see you'll never forget. Directly (INAUDIBLE) was definitely a mother, twisted up, obviously deceased. We counted around eight bodies very quickly right in our area. One gentleman crushed. Had tire tracks across his back once they rolled him over.

He had tire tracks on his front. He was completely crushed. Another girl, young, small girl was dancing when we were coming up the street and she was just completely flat in the middle, dead center middle. Another woman just brutally run over, but still agonizing. I'm certified in CPR and first responder training and they wouldn't let us help. They locked us all inside which is understandable but nobody else was helping.

So, that was even tougher. But just the fact that these people are somebody's people and they're not going to be there this morning is rough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Absolutely devastating account there. Now the FBI at this hour is executing search warrants in multiple states as it investigates New Orleans terror attack. We will have the latest on the Bourbon Street bloodshed. Just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:28:40]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You all (INAUDIBLE) dozens of people that got hit by this car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have at least six casualties. I'm an officer doing test compressions on one. I have another white male that's got agonal breathing in the 200 block, multiple casualties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Get a real sense of the horror there. Those of police scanners picking up panicked calls from first responders after the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans.

Now a warning, some of the images you are about to see are quite graphic. This was the scene just minutes after the truck ramming in the famous Bourbon Street. Dozens of people were wounded, and we blurred some of the images you're seeing there. The suspect used a rented Ford pickup. Authorities say it contained potential improvised explosive devices as well as an ISIS flag.

This is the driver. 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar. A U.S. Army veteran, an American citizen from Texas. He was killed after opening fire on local law enforcement. Now the FBI says authorities are now aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates. The U.S. senator from Louisiana demanded the federal government be transparent the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): I will promise you this. I will -- when it is appropriate and this investigation is complete, you will find out what happened and who was responsible or I will raise fresh hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:30:00]

\ NEWTON: Ruth and Jonathan Chavez were in New Orleans on Wednesday morning and witnessed that horrible terror attack. They are safely, thankfully, back home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and they join us now live. And to the both of you, yeah, just from everything you've gone through, we're glad to see you are safely at home now, and are really sorry for everything you've gone through. Ruth, can you just describe what it was like there that night and what unfolded before you?

RUTH CHAVEZ, WITNESS: We were having an amazing night. We were in Jackson Square, bringing in the New Year's. We were having so much fun. And the thing is, my son is only 17. He is a senior in high school, so we weren't able to get into a lot of the clubs, so we were mostly hanging out on Bourbon Street. And towards the end of the night, we happened to get into this bar and they had live music, and that's when we heard the gunshots and everyone started running.

And then they ended up locking us in the building and they shut all the doors, told us to get down. And when we came outside, that's when we saw the truck that was crashed right outside where we were at. And we saw the first responders trying to save a young man and they were working on him for so long, and we were just hoping and praying he was going to survive, but there was no life in him at all. And they worked so hard to try to save him. And there -- it was just -- we couldn't do anything but stand there in shock and in tears about the whole thing.

NEWTON: I can't imagine what it was like to see the scene out there. Just from the few images we've seen, it -- really, it was so devastating.

Jonathan, you're only 17. I mean, what was it like in terms of what unfolded for you? Clearly, if the truck was right outside where you guys were sheltering in place, you were clearly in danger in those moments.

JONATHAN CHAVEZ, WITNESS: Yeah, and honestly, it was -- it was just super scary and the way it happened, like so, so, so fast. It was just like a big blur. And next thing you know, we're having a great time and we're just worried about these people and their lives because, you know, like that, it's just devastating because -- and it's very scary. And how it could have been me and my mom -- me and my mom, like it's -- it's just -- it's just very sad. Um, and like, there's no words to really put it, but like, it was just horrible. It was very graphic. We heard everything that came outside and once we heard it, it was from there like tragedy. And it was just -- the night was very silent after that. And it was quiet and it was sad.

NEWTON: Gosh, I'm getting chills just you saying that, the silence that followed all of that when everyone's trying to process exactly what they're seeing and what happened. I mean, Ruth, did everything seem -- you said you were having a good time. Did everything seem secure and safe? Like, what did you notice in terms of security?

R. CHAVEZ: Yeah, that's why we love New Orleans. This is our third time in a row that we went back to New Orleans because we have so much fun. There's tons of police. You see the police on the horses, they're watching everything. The police and the first responders, I've never seen so many police in my whole life. They did amazing work, shutting it down and trying to stop what they could, but nobody could have predicted that.

NEWTON: Oh, for sure. I mean, Jonathan, in terms of what everyone did to try and get you guys to safety, I mean, do you feel that, you know, they took the right steps? I mean, clearly you guys were sheltering in place where you were.

J. CHAVEZ: Yeah, and it was very, very fast. Like, like it was right outside and right in front of the place we were in. And it was -- it was very loud in there because you know, it was -- it was a nice band. But when you heard those gunshots and people are starting to run and everything, they take it very serious and they locked those doors and those windows, and they made sure everybody to get down and be safe. And they took it pretty good, really well.

R. CHAVEZ: They saved our lives, by us walking into that bar saved our lives because we would've been in the direct path of that driver.

NEWTON: So scary. When you emerged, did you see the attacker on the ground?

R. CHAVEZ: No, we didn't see. We saw the crashed truck and then we saw -- the first thing that I locked eyes on was them working on this young guy because he looked about my son's age. And then, that's when the police showed up and they started putting the tape up, so they wouldn't let us walk further down to where the truck was actually at.

NEWTON: Jonathan and Ruth Chavez, we are so glad you are safe. I don't know what the dog's name is.

[02:35:00]

I certainly hope it's providing some emotional support, as you guys continue.

R. CHAVEZ: He is.

NEWTON: I hope you -- good emotional support. Good thing to have some dog therapy while you guys try and process --

R. CHAVEZ: Yeah.

J. CHAVEZ: Exactly.

NEWTON: -- all of this.

R. CHAVEZ: This is Max. He gets us through everything.

(LAUGH)

NEWTON: He looks very empathetic to me.

R. CHAVEZ: Yeah.

NEWTON: -- which is great. Ruth and Jonathan --

R. CHAVEZ: He's very -- he's very happy we made it home.

NEWTON: I'm sure. We all are. We all are. Ruth and Jonathan Chavez from Albuquerque, New Mexico, thank you so much.

R. CHAVEZ: Thank you guys so much.

NEWTON: OK. Right now, the FBI is conducting a number of search warrants in multiple states related to the attack. That includes a home in Houston, Texas that is believed to be connected to the suspect. CNN's Evan Perez reports. They're also trying to track down -- if they're trying to track down any possible accomplices? EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The FBI is working to determine whether anyone else was involved in the attack that killed at least 15 people early on New Year's Day on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. An army veteran from Texas maneuvered a rented pickup truck around a police car that was intended to block access to the street. The attack injured dozens of people and the FBI is treating it as a terrorism investigation.

Investigators found an ISIS flag as well as writings with the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar (ph). This evidence, along with recordings he's believed to have made recently, indicated allegiance to ISIS according to investigators. Authorities also detonated several suspected improvised explosives in the truck and nearby. Investigators spent the day at the large crime scene in the French Quarter, as well as working to conduct searches at other locations associated with the suspect.

This includes a rental home nearby where the suspect is believed to have spent the recent days before carrying out the attack, as well as another home in the Houston area where the suspect is sought to have lived. They've also spent the day talking to people who knew the suspect and so far haven't identified anyone who helped him or who knew of his plans to carry out the attack. The FBI is still continuing to ask the public for help, to share video or tips if they've seen the suspect in recent days and weeks.

Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.

NEWTON: Now, tens of thousands of college football fans had gathered in New Orleans for the quarterfinal playoff game between Notre Dame and Georgia, now postponed to Thursday. That was after Wednesday's terror attack. Now the attack happened not far from the Superdome, that's a sports arena where the two football teams were set to face off. The violence raises new questions about security ahead of the large public events that are about to happen in New Orleans.

Louisiana's attorney General expressed concerns about holding the Sugar Bowl so soon after the attack, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZ MURRILL, LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I would like to see it delayed at least another day. If they asked my opinion, I would tell them that. I think that it was a wise decision to delay it at least a day. This is an active crime scene and they just finished removing some of the bodies and they still haven't removed all of them, and I still think that we probably need to wait an extra day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, meantime, the head coach for Notre Dame Football expressed his condolences to the victims and their families in solidarity with the City of New Orleans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCUS FREEMAN, NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL HEAD COACH: First off, I'd like to say, we're hurting for all those affected by this tragedy. The City of New Orleans has welcomed us with open arms and we join them in prayers for all those victims and families that have -- are affected by this tragedy. We got together this morning as a team and before I got downstairs, I had gotten a phone call that there was an incident, obviously some type of tragedy, that happened in the middle of the night. And I didn't really have the details. And so we were preparing this morning, to play a game this evening.

And then after our break, when we got the news and we learned of the severity of the tragedies that happened, we had to get back together as a team. I think a lot of people would start to hear that the game would be postponed, but we had to get back together and discuss what had happened. And so, what I told the team is, in the toughest moments, the culture of any program of a nation is revealed. And I have a lot of faith this country will rally around New Orleans and support all the victims and families that were affected today.

NEWTON: CNN's Andy Scholes has more now on the plans for the rescheduled Sugar Bowl.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, officials in New Orleans say they have moved the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame to Thursday out of an abundance of caution due to the terrorist attack early Wednesday morning. The superintendent of New Orleans Police says they will have heightened security in the area and bomb dogs will continue to sweep the Superdome and the exterior through the game.

[02:40:00]

Now, officials insist it will be safe to play the game. Here is Sugar Bowl's CEO, Jeff Hundley on the decision to postpone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF HUNDLEY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SUGAR BOWL: We have been in consultation with ESPN, with the college football playoff, with the Southeastern Conference, with the University of Georgia, with Notre Dame. All parties and all agree that it's in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game.

KENNEDY: I think the mayor and the governor are very wise to postpone this ball game. There's just too much stuff we don't know, and it's just not worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now, the Super Bowl is set to be played in New Orleans on February 9th. The NFL, they released a statement on Wednesday saying that they were deeply saddened by what happened and added the NFL and the local host committee have been working collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies the past two years and have developed comprehensive security plans. These planning sessions will continue as they do with all major NFL events, and we are confident attendees will have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience.

Now, it'll be interesting to see what Super Bowl week in New Orleans is like because just hours ago, the air in New Orleans, it was filled with joy and anticipation for the Sugar Bowl, and now it's tragedy, uncertainty, and the overriding issue of safety hovering over the city.

NEWTON: Thanks to Andy Scholes there. Now, the attack in New Orleans is similar to several recent terror attacks that used vehicles to kill and inflict damage. We'll have a report after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: All right. We're going to get you right up to speed with two breaking news stories in the United States, a horrific terrorist attack during New Year's celebrations in New Orleans and an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas a few hours later. The New Orleans officials say at least 15 people were killed after a man drove a pickup into a crowd celebrating the New Year, Wednesday morning.

[02:45:00]

Dozens of others were injured. Officials say the suspect is a U.S. Army veteran who was killed at the scene. He had posted videos earlier saying he joined ISIS. In the meantime, in Las Vegas, one person was found dead inside the cyber truck that blew up Wednesday morning, seven people were injured. Officials believe the driver also had a military background. Both vehicles were rented from the same online platform.

Now, the attacker in New Orleans used a truck as a weapon against people on a crowded street that's very popular with tourists. As CNN's Brian Todd reports, using vehicles in terror attacks has become more common in recent years. I want to warn you, some of the video you are about to see is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One witness to the New Orleans attack says she can't unhear the screams of the victims.

KIMBERLY STRICKLIN, WITNESSED THE NEW ORLEANS ATTACK: I remember the screeching and him gunning the car and the impact and the screams, like I said, the screams of those girls. I mean, I don't know that I'll be able to forget that.

TODD (voice-over): The kind of horror that many cities have experienced in recent years when attackers turn vehicles into weapons. Just a few days before this Christmas, a car slams into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing at least five people, injuring more than 200. The suspect, a doctor originally from Saudi Arabia, who'd expressed anti-Muslim far-right views. Like Magdeburg and New Orleans, other cities have experienced horrific vehicle attacks during holidays.

November 2021, a suspect with a long criminal history drives an SUV through the annual Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six, injuring more than 60. Berlin, December 2016, a tractor trailer rams into a crowd at a bustling Christmas market, killing at least 12 people, injuring dozens of others. The suspect, a rejected asylum seeker, was later killed in a shootout with police in Italy. And the deadliest vehicle attack ever, July 14, 2016, Bastille Day in Nice, France. A Tunisian-born French resident drives a 20-ton truck nearly a mile through a crowded seaside promenade. 86 people killed, more than 200 others wounded. ISIS claimed responsibility.

Why do these vehicle attacks often seem more deadly than other tactics?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: A vehicle attack doesn't require any special training. You just rent a vehicle, buy a vehicle, and use it as a weapon. Secondly, just like school shooters look at Columbine or other famous school shootings and kind of obsess about them, and terrorists examine other terrorists and they say, well, what worked? Really (sp?) vehicle rammings work.

TODD (voice-over): October 2017, an Islamic extremist from Uzbekistan jumps a curb in a rental truck in Manhattan, drives down a bicycle path along the West Side Highway and kills eight people. Authorities found a note near the truck claiming the attack was in the name of ISIS. A couple of months earlier, a domestic extremist, a white nationalist, slammed his vehicle into a crowd of counter protestors at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing one woman and injuring almost 20 others.

Analyst Peter Bergen says vehicle attacks with their blood curdling optics have a distinct psychological impact.

BERGEN: Certainly, there is a short-term effect where it terrorizes people. People are worried about going out in places where there a lot of people gathered.

TODD: Security analysts say, one somewhat common characteristic of these vehicle attacks is that many of them took place in cities where tourism is a key part of the local economy. One official with the New Orleans Tourism Association says it's too early to tell what effect this attack will have on tourism in that city, which was still trying to recover from tourism declines stemming from the COVID pandemic and even from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: OK, we are also following breaking news out of New York this hour. Police say at least 10 people, possibly more, have been injured in a drive-by shooting at a nightclub in The Borough of Queens. Police are searching for more information and video to try and identify those responsible. Witnesses say a Gray Infiniti Sedan opened fire from the street and may have been followed by a second vehicle. Now, we will continue to update you on the story as we get more details.

Police in Montenegro say a gunman who killed at least 10 people has died from self-inflicted injuries. The suspect had been on the run from police after opening fire in a restaurant not far from the country's capital. Police say he killed four people, then moved on to three different locations, killing at least six more people in the process, and that includes two children -- or other people are in life -- have life-threatening injuries. Police say the suspect tried to take his own life. He died while being taken to hospital.

In Germany, five people were killed in a string of incidents involving fireworks during New Year's Eve celebrations.

[02:50:00]

In Berlin, firefighters responded to more than 1,800 incidents and police detained more than 300 people. Authorities say firefighters and other emergency service personnel were targeted with fireworks in at least 13 separate attacks. In Munich, the fire department says a wayward firework ignited huge fire on the balcony of an apartment building. And officials say three children were seriously injured by fireworks. Two suffered burns on their hands and face, and one lost parts of his hand.

Turning now to the war in Gaza, the enclave civil defense says at least 23 people were killed in a wave on Israel -- in a wave of Israeli strikes on New Year's Day. We have to warn you, the next video is graphic. The strikes include this area in southern Gaza where friends and family members mourn the victims. Now, the victims of Wednesday's attacks included children and women. Israel's military says it is targeting terrorists and taking steps to avoid harming civilians.

OK, brutally cold winter weather is making a comeback as temperatures drop to dangerous lows in the eastern United States. The forecast, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: So the weather at the end of 2024 felt more like autumn in the eastern United States, but an arctic blast, it's coming. Next week could be the coldest of the season with dangerous wind chills and below freezing temperatures throughout much of Florida. CNN's Chad Myers has the forecast.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, a couple things going on today, but really more of a tranquil day than what we're going to be seeing in the next coming days. Some rain and snow here, mainly snow along the lakes, lake effect snow, but very windy conditions all the way from upstate New York all the way down.

[02:55:00]

Every single one of the big airports for today will be windy, may get some delays for sure. The snow will likely be along the lakes and also into the Appalachian Mountains. Temperatures are going to cool down and cool down significantly as this below average temperature drops all the way down to the Gulf Coast. I mean, you're going to be below freezing all the way down to the Gulf Coast in places.

We'll watch the storm come on shore in the Pacific Northwest, roll through the middle part of the country, rain, snow, sleet, and yes, maybe even some ice storms going on here. But now, this is pushing you ahead to quite a few days, things to still look forward to, or maybe not if you're traveling, but you still have time to get prepared for this rain, snow, sleet, and then maybe, possibly even that ice. Could be some very deep snow in some places, just depends on how cold it gets. Could be some real troublesome ice across the middle part of the country, especially the Ohio Valley and just south of there, well below normal temperatures, you get a little bit of precip on top of that and all of a sudden you get the ice event. So take care.

NEWTON: I want to thank you for joining us this hour. I'm Paul Newton. "CNN Newsroom" will continue with Christina Macfarlane in London. That's after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)