Table of Contents
New Delhi:
In the early hours of New Year’s Day, an attack in the American city of New Orleans left at least fifteen dead and dozens injured. The suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran, drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd. Jabbar, who was killed in a shootout with police, was a lone wolf terrorist who had pledged allegiance to the ISIS terror group in online videos posted hours before the attack, the FBI said.
Five videos were posted on Jabbar’s Facebook account. In the first video, Jabbar said he originally intended to harm his family and friends, but was concerned that the news headline would not focus on “war between the believers and the unbelievers.”
The attack was the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil since the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting that killed 49 people.
Lone Wolf Tactics
Islamic State has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack in New Orleans. Unlike coordinated terrorist cells, lone wolves like Jabbar operate independently, often inspired by extremist propaganda spread online. This lone wolf modus operandi challenges traditional counter-terrorism strategies, which rely heavily on infiltrating networks and intercepting communications.
Lone offenders typically use ‘easily accessible’ methods, such as ramming vehicles, edged weapons or firearms, to inflict mass casualties. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center issued a bulletin on December 6, 2024, warning law enforcement agencies of possible lone wolf attacks during the holiday season. Despite these warnings, the tragedy in New Orleans could not be averted.
Online extremism
After its territorial defeat in 2019, ISIS has shifted its focus to the digital world, creating what counter-terrorism experts describe as a “digital caliphate.” This online network uses social media, encrypted messaging apps, and dark web platforms to radicalize individuals, share propaganda, and provide tactical guidance for attacks.
Investigators investigating the attack in New Orleans found videos that Jabbar posted online hours before the attack in which he pledged loyalty to ISIS and called for violence. Although his radicalization process remains under investigation, early findings suggest he may have been influenced by online platforms where extremist content flourishes.
Social media companies have made progress in removing extremist content, but the rapid migration of such material to encrypted platforms poses a challenge.
Domestic radicalization
Jabbar was a U.S. Army veteran with no prior known ties to extremist networks. According to authorities, his radicalization appeared to happen relatively quickly and was likely motivated by personal grievances.
This pattern mirrors other recent cases in which individuals have turned to extremist ideologies as a means of finding purpose or expressing their anger. Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the Central Asia-based affiliate of ISIS, has been particularly effective in using online platforms to radicalize individuals.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man behind an assassination attempt on US President-elect Donald Trump in July last year, acted as a lone wolf. Crooks was not part of a terrorist group, and police were unable to link him to extremist ideologies.
Experts have warned that the psychological profiles of lone-actor terrorists often reveal a combination of personal instability and ideological alignment with extremist causes.