What we know about the New Orleans terrorist attack

• "We have people of interest. They are not people who are suspects at this time," Kirkpatrick said, adding that the FBI was working on "tracking down everybody."
• The FBI said late Wednesday that it was still processing the crime scene that comprised a blocks-long stretch of the French Quarter, New Orleans' densest and most highly-visited neighborhood.
• Investigators planned to turn the area back over to local authorities by Thursday morning while they carried out "a number" of search warrants "in New Orleans and other states."

Catch up quick: President Biden said in televised remarks Wednesday evening that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran suspected of committing the attack that the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism, "posted videos to social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill."

• "I know while this person committed a terrible assault on this city, the spirit of New Orleans will never, never be defeated," he said.
• Biden said law enforcement officers were investigating whether there was "any possible connection" between the New Orleans attack and a deadly Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. "Thus far, there's nothing to report on that," he said.

The big picture: Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy warned about the spread of misinformation in a press conference at New Orleans police headquarters Wednesday afternoon.

• "You will find out what happened and who was responsible or I will raise fresh hell," Kennedy said, but cautioned the public to be wary of its information sources as officials investigate.

What they're saying: "This city has been tried by fire before, but fire purifies," Kirkpatrick said. "Fire makes things stronger. We have a plan, we know what to do. We are going to get these people. There is a path forward."

What happened

A man whom the FBI identified as Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, was driving a white Ford pickup truck away from the Mississippi River on Canal Street at about 3:15am local time.

• He drove his truck onto a sidewalk and around an NOPD SUV to plow into crowds of New Year's revelers, Kirkpatrick said.
• Photos show the truck crashed into construction equipment just short of the Royal Sonesta hotel at 300 Bourbon St.
• When Jabbar exited the truck, he began shooting, and three NOPD officers returned fire, Kirkpatrick said.
• Jabbar, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had previously been on active duty in the U.S. Army for "many years" and had also served in the Army Reserve until a few years ago, according to Biden.

Two improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were found by police, FBI special agent in charge Alethea Duncan said.

• They were found when police made systematic sweeps looking for suspicious items near the scene.
• Police also swept the Caesars Superdome, officials said, which was scheduled to host the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Years Day. The game was postponed to Thursday afternoon. Go deeper.

Police searching for additional suspects

Jabbar rented the truck through the Turo app, Biden said.

• An ISIS flag was found inside, as well as multiple weapons and a "potential" IED, the FBI said.

• It was not immediately clear if Jabbar had any formal affiliation with any terrorism organization.

Officials do not believe Jabbar was working alone, Duncan said Wednesday.

• But they did not say whether any additional suspects were in custody, or how many people may have been involved.

New Orleans officials aware of security issues

Bourbon Street is an active roadway in New Orleans, but it often converts to a pedestrian mall during high-traffic times.

• That was the case on New Year's, but bollards blocking vehicle traffic from entering the street have been malfunctioning since they were installed about a decade ago, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.
• New Orleans had been in the process of replacing those bollards, as part of ongoing work to upgrade city infrastructure before hosting Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.
• An NOPD SUV was stationed at the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets to block vehicle traffic. There are no bollards blocking the sidewalk.

What they said: "We did indeed have a plan but the terrorist defeated it," Kirkpatrick said.

• Gov. Jeff Landry said officials recognize "we have a problem" and "we're going to fix it."
• "We can go on about 'what ifs' forever," Landry said, deflecting reporters' questions over security inefficiencies. "This is evil."

By the numbers: About 400 police officers were in the French Quarter over Tuesday night, Kirkpatrick said.

What we're watching

Details about victims in the attack began to emerge Wednesday as loved ones learned of their identities.

• "It will take several days to perform all autopsies," New Orleans coroner Dwight McKenna said in a statement.
• Some victims' bodies had still remained on the scene as of Wednesday afternoon, Cantrell said during a press conference.

Landry issued a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon and tapped 100 military police from the Louisiana National Guard to bolster city ranks.

The FBI is asking to connect with anyone with tips, or video or photos that may be helpful to investigators.

• They can be sent to law enforcement by calling the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetattack.

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Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details from law enforcement agencies and remarks from President Biden.