ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - Jan. 2, 2025

tonight the horrific New Year's attack in New Orleans authorities describing the attacker as a lone wolf inspired by ISIS breaking news a small plane crashing into a building and tracking the first major winter storm of the New Year first the chilling terror attack in New Orleans the FBI says new surveillance video shows the suspect planting explosive devices before speeding through the French Quarter in a rented pickup truck 14 people killed in the early hours of the new year the suspect an army vet authorities now confident he acted alone and was inspired by ISIS in a video posted online the suspect saying he had joined the terrorist group tonight one victim in a wheelchair at the time of the attack reliving the moment he was hit and we are now hearing from the families of those killed as the spirit of New Orleans returns and Bourbon Street reopens Whit Johnson in New Orleans tight security in place for the Sugar Bowl the game postponed a day following the attack players and fans paying tribute to the victims the mayor wiping away a tear during a moment of silence Trevor alt at the super doome images coming in late today a small plane crashing through the roof of a building First Responders now on the scene the investigation into the Cyber truck explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas surveillance video showing the vehicle sitting for 15 to 20 seconds before the blast what we are now learning about the driver believed to be a Green Beret and what authorities say was found inside the burned out truck mola langi in Las Vegas and tracking the first major winter storm of the New Year the system stretching for 1500 miles from Kansas to the Northeast this weekend brutal cold across half the country and it's going to stay that way for a while from ABC News world headquarters in New York this is World News Tonight with David mure good evening and thank you for being with us on a busy Thursday night I'm Mary Bruce in for David and we begin with the Urgent search for answers after the horrific and deadly terror attack in New Orleans the FBI now believes the suspect shamsudin Jabar acted alone and that he was quote 100% inspired by ISIS surveillance video showing that rented white pickup truck on Canal Street then turning onto Bourbon Street evading a parked police car then speeding down re blocked people scrambling to get out of the way the truck slamming into a construction crane the driver killed in a gun battle with police on the back of his truck an Isis flag wrapped in a gray jacket and tonight we are seeing the faces of some of the 14 people who were killed and hearing from their families about their loss before the college football Sugar Bowl game postponed until today players and fans observing a moment of silence for the victims and tonight the FBI also says they have surveillance video showing the suspect planting explosive devices elsewhere in the French Quarter fortunately they did not go off ABC's Whit Johnson leads us off on Bourbon Street tonight tonight as investigators dissect hundreds of hours of surveillance footage and fielded more than 400 tips from the public the FBI says 42-year-old sham sadine Jabar was likely a lone wolf terrorist shutting down earlier fears of possible co-conspirators we do not assess at this point that anyone else involved in this attack is involved in this attack except for shamsa din Jabar the FBI says Jabar drove that rented F-150 truck from Houston to New Orleans on December 31st posting multiple videos to Facebook along the way claiming he joined Isis before last summer and pledged allegiance to the group what I can't tell you right now is that he was 100% inspired by ISIS they say in the hours before the attack he placed a cooler with an explosive inside on the corner of bourbon and Orleans streets and another two blocks away and had a remote Detonator to set them off we did obtain surveillance footage showing Jabar placing the devices where they were found while speeding down Bourbon Street hitting pedestrians the suspect also opened fire with an AR style rifle before crashing into this construction vehicle next to the truck a mangled motorized wheelchair Jeremy sensy was thrown from it tonight the 51-year-old who was paralyzed from a previous accident is recovering in the hospital I had broke my femur both legs both legs my tiia I think my w ankles broke Jeremy says he never saw the truck coming only heard loud bangs and screams before he was knocked to the ground how do you have optimism in this moment for the future in the New Year I'm alive man I mean I'm alive everything is good I just feel bad for the people to didn't make it sensy survived but at least 14 people were killed 37-year-old Reggie Hunter was a loving father of two young boys his cousin Charelle Jackson was texting with him just before the attack it was 12:07 when his message came in that was the last message the last message that I had from him at 12:07 a. m. just on New Year's morning saying Happy New Year and that he loved us and when you look at that message now I'm grateful that I have it but hours later she says it was her heart-wrenching task of identifying his body at the hospital on New Year's Day I said a prayer before I got ready to go in like you know God give me strength to be able to do this um because I'm wanting to be strong did you feel like in that moment though you were able to in some way say goodbye yeah when I um you know I picked his hand up and I felt it it was cold and I just kissed his hand and said a prayer and said that I love you and yeah for me that was my goodbye to him also killed 21-year-old Hubert guthro seen here in his high school yearbook photo 21 years old still so much life to live and just taken too soon um and it's a tragedy Drw dolphin was 26 his family says he always now will be in the Sun at the lake that he loves so much 28-year-old former Princeton football player tiger Beck was visiting Louisiana for a long weekend of fishing with some college friends Kathy and Lewis tenorio remembering their 25-year-old son Matthew his beautiful face is laugh I love you Mom you know just he was just a wonderful son I'm still in shock honestly and uh as I think as time goes by you know I'll see something that reminds me of him and I'll break down I know that's going to happen probably for the rest of my life officials admit the suspect defeated security by driving onto the sidewalk today new metal barricades were brought to that same spot as Bourbon Street was reopened to the public and Whit Johnson with us now from New Orleans Whit Bourbon Street there right behind you it's back open but the investigation into the attack is far from over so what's the latest well Mary the FBI has just released a poster with new images of the suspect and they include a photo of Jabar in the early morning hours of New Year's Day captured on Bourbon Street along with an image of one of those IEDs that they say that he left in a cooler nearby they are asking for the public to come forward with any information that could help and of course as you noted all of this as Bourbon Street is now back open of course under heavy security with authorities continuing to investigate this deadly attack Mary the spirit of New Orleans tonight undefeated with thank you and now the investigation into the suspect and his possible motive the FBI says in the hours before the attack Sam Shaden Jabar posted several videos on Facebook describing his turn to Isis and who he first intended to hurt but why he chose to Target New Orleans instead here's ABC's chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas tonight an ongoing and Urgent investigation to understand the motive behind this brutal and vicious Act of Terror I've assembled the entire defense and intelligence apparatus of the country more than one ,000 federal state and local law enforcement officials going Full Tilt the last 24 hours thus far not finding any other co-conspirators but still trying to determine if shamsu Den Jabar was radicalized to become an Isis sympathizer online on his own or whether he was recruited and handled by an Isis member directly this is completely outside of his character his stunned brother speaking to ABC News asking not to show his face this type of extreme is M and radicalization I didn't know anything about any of this the profile being developed baffling the mild manner real estate agent seen here in a YouTube video good evening I'm Shine ja Co blooded killer tonight the FBI exploring three phones and two laptop computers and pleading for the Public's help whether you know Jabar personally worked with him served in the military or saw him in New Orleans or Texas we need to talk to you born and raised in Texas Jabar spent more than a decade in the military in HR and IT roles including a stent in Afghanistan but in recent years had been divorced at least three times and was facing Financial challenges and a strain of child support for his three children but something snapped just hours before the attack the FBI says Jabar posted videos to Facebook where he openly discussed killing members of his own family but apparently deciding that was not a big enough political statement he originally planned to harm his family and friends but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the quote war between the Believers and the disbelievers Agents swarming this home in Houston with a suspect had reportedly lived our Mara villal is there this is where law enforcement made entrance into the property you can see what's left of this mangled gate inside the very bare minimum of furniture and cooking Essentials neighbors calling Jabar a quiet man who kept to himself Mary vehicles used as weapons are becoming the preferred method of mass casually attack and we're learning tonight about a report warning New Orleans officials were warned that Bourbon Street was a prime target Mary so many questions remain Pierre Thomas tracking it all thank you as New Orleans races to reopen its iconic streets after the deadly terror attack Louisiana governor Jeff Landry promising an unprecedented law enforcement presence for today's rescheduled Sugar Bowl game tens of thousands of fans are there amid very tight security ABC's Trevor alt on the scene at the super doome tonight a massive security Presence at the Superdome for the postponed Sugar Bowl playoff matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia bomb sniffing dogs sweeping Vehicles police and tactical gear at the gates so you can see some of the heighten security outside the Superdome multiple police vehicles and these barricades they've even gone as far as to bring in State Police in a SWAT vehicle with long guns iiana Governor Jeff Landry promising an unprecedented law enforcement presence to protect the tens of thousands of fans who came to New Orleans and extended their stays to support their teams we walked around yesterday in the French quter and there were police and FBI all over the place inside the stadium the mixed emotions palpable fans bowing their heads New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell leading the stadium in a moment of silence the teams taking the field Notre Dame players carrying the American flag no Notre Dame defeating Georgia but the game today about much more than football this city is special uh these people are special a lot of resolve life has to go on and Mary City officials and Louisiana's governor were adamant that New Orleans is safe and prepared to continue to host major events including the Super Bowl which will be held here next month Mary Trevor thank you now to that disturbing incident in Las Vegas just hours after the New Orleans attack authorities now say they believe the driver died by suicide just before his rented Tesla truck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel officials now believe the driver was Matthew livelsberger an active duty Green Beret and what investigators found inside the burnt-out truck ABC's mola langi on the scene in Las Vegas tonight authorities say they believe the driver behind the wheel of that deadly cyber truck blast outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas was a highly decorated active duty Green Beret Master Sergeant Matthew libur serving 19 years with the military deploying multiple times to Afghanistan and awarded the bronze star medal with Valor for heroism Under Fire he was on approved leave from Germany at the time of his death tonight police say they believe livelsberger died by Suicide the individual had sustained a gunshot wound to the Head prior to the detonation of the vehicle one of the handguns was found at his feet inside of the of the vehicle authorities say that 2024 cyber truck was spotted at the hotel at 7:35 a.

m. Wednesday driving through the valet entrance and then pulling off an hour later video shows the Cyber truck pulling onto Las Vegas Boulevard later exploding into a fiery ball Flames tearing through the vehicle before firefighters put out the blaze at least seven people injured inside that burned out truck police uncovering two semi-automatic weapons canisters of gasoline camp fuel and large firework mortars police say lbg's military ID passport and credit cards were also found sources say liels Berger's wife told authorities he'd been out of the house in Colorado Springs since Christmas following a dispute over infidelity investigators say he rented that cyber truck in Denver on Saturday using the turo app the same app police say military veteran shamsu djabar used to rent the truck in the New Orleans attack while both men served at Fort Brag and in Afghanistan police say there does not appear to be a direct connection between the two no information that we're aware of right now that connects this individual to any terrorist organization around the world well tonight investigators are working to get into lival Berger's phone and computers which could potentially be a treasure Trove of information ultimately helping them figure out a motive Mary but again so far no connection to that attack in New Orleans Moola thank you now to the breaking news from California a small plane crashing into a building near the airport in Fullerton the image is just coming in showing the smoke in First Responders on the scene one person was killed at least 15 were injured the investigation is now underway ABC's Jaclyn Lee in California with the details just coming in tonight new video capturing the moment a small plane crashed into a Furniture Warehouse triggering a massive Fireball near the airport in Southern California immediate Landing required dozens of responders racing to the scene just after 2: p. m.