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 ault at the superdome. 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 cybertruck explosion outside the trump hotel in las vegas.

surveillance video showing the vehicle sitting for 15 to 20 seconds before the blast. what we're now learning about the driver, believed to be a green beret. and what authorities say was found inside the burned-out truck. mola lenghi in las vegas. and tracking the first major winter storm of the new year. the system stretching for 1,500 miles, from kansas to the northeast this weekend. brutal cold across half the country. and it's going to stay that way for awhile. 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, shamsud din jabbar, acted alone, and 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 three blocks, 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. >> reporter: tonight, as investigators dissect hundreds of hours of surveillance footage and field more than 400 tips from the public, the fbi says

42-year-old shamsud din jabbar 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 shamsud din jabbar. >> reporter: the fbi says jabbar 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 tell you right now is that he was 100% inspired by isis. >> reporter: 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 jabbar placing the devices where they were found. >> reporter: 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 senski was thrown from it. tonight, the 51-year-old, who is paralyzed from a previous accident, is recovering in the hospital. >> i broke my femur -- >> reporter: both legs? >> both legs, my tibia, my ankle is broke. >> reporter: 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 that didn't make it. >> reporter: senski survived. but at least 14 people were killed. 37-year-old reggie hunter was a loving father of two young boys. his cousin shirell jackson was texting with him just before the attack.

>> it was 12:07 when his message came in. >> reporter: that was the last message. >> the last message i had from him, at 12:07 a.m., on new year's morning, saying, happy new year, and that he loved us. >> reporter: when you look at that message now -- >> i'm grateful that i have it. >> reporter: but hours later, she says, it was her heartwrenching task of th 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. because i'm wanting to be strong. >> reporter: did you feel like in that moment, though, you were able to in some ways say good-bye? >> yeah. when i, 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 good-bye to him. >> reporter: also killed, 21-year-old hubert gauthreaux, seen here in his high school yearbook photo. >> 21 years old, still so much life to live and just taken too soon. it's a tragedy. >> reporter: drew dauphin was 26. his family says he always now

will be in the sun at the lake that he loved so much. 28-year-old former princeton football player tiger bech was visiting louisiana for a long weekend of fishing with some college friends. kathy and louis tenedorio remembering their 25-year-old son, matthew. >> his beautiful face, his laugh. i love you, mom, you know, just -- he was just a wonderful son. >> i'm still in shock. honestly. and 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. >> reporter: 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. >> mary: and whit johnson with us now from new orleans. whit, bourbon street right there behind you, it's back open, but the investigation of the attack is far from over.

so, what's the latest? >> reporter: well, mary, the fbi has just released a poster with new images of the suspect and they include a photo of jabbar 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're 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? >> mary: the spirit of new orleans tonight undefeated. whit, thank you. and now, the investigation into the suspect and his possible motive. the fbi says in the hours before the attack, shamsud din jabbar posted several videos on facebook, discussing who he was first intended to hurt, but why he chose to target new orleans instead. here is chief justice correspondent pierre thomas.

>> reporter: 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. >> reporter: more than 1,000 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 shamsud din jabbar 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. >> reporter: his stunned brother speaking to abc news, asking not to show his face. >> this type of extremism and radicalization, i didn't know anything about it. >> reporter: the profile being developed. baffling. the mild-mannered real estate agent seen here in a youtube video. >> good evening, i'm shamsud din jabbar. >> reporter: turned cold blooded killer. tonight, the fbi exploring three phones and two laptop computers. and pleading for the public's

help. >> whether you know jabbar personally, worked with him, served in the military, or saw him in new orleans or texas, we need to talk to you. >> reporter: born and raised in texas, jabbar spent more than a decade in the military, in hr and i.t. roles, including a stint in afghanistan. but in recent years, had been divorced at least three times and was facing financial challenges and the strain of child support for his three children. but something snapped. just hours before the attack, the fbi says jabbar 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. >> reporter: agents swarming this home in houston where the suspect had reportedly lived. our mireya villarreal 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. >> reporter: neighbors calling jabbar a quiet man who kept to himself. mary, vehicles used as weapons are becoming the preferred method of mass attack, and we're learning tonight about a new report tonight warning new orleans officials that bourbon street was a prime target. mary? >> 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 ault on the scene at the superdome. >> reporter: tonight, a massive security presence at the superdome, for the postponed sugar bowl playoff match-up between notre dame and georgia. bomb sniffing dogs sweeping vehicles, police in tactical gear at the gates.

you can see the heightened security outside the superdome. multiple police vehicles and these barricades. they've gone as far says to bring in the state police and a s.w.a.t. vehicle with long guns. louisiana 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 quarter and there were police and fbi all over the place. >> reporter: 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. the game today about much more than football. >> this city is special. these people are special. a lot of resolve. life has to go on. >> reporter: and mary, city officials and louisiana's governor were adamant today 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? >> 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 lithelsberge active green beret, and what investigators found inside the burned out truck. abc's mola lenghi on the scene in las vegas. >> reporter: tonight, authorities believe the driver behind the wheel of that deadly cybertruck blast outside trump international hotel in las vegas was a highly decorated active duty green beret. master sergeant matthew livelsberger served 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 alleged death. tonight, police say they believe he 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 vehicle. >> reporter: authorities say the 2024 cybertruck 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 cybertruck 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 semiautomatic weapons, canisters of gasoline, camp fuel, and large fireworks mortars. police say livelsberger military i.d., passport, and credit cards before also found. sources say livelsberger'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 cybertruck in denver on saturday, using the turo app, the same app police say military veteran shamsud din jabbar used

to rent the truck in the new orleans attack. while both men served at fort bragg 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. >> reporter: well, tonight, investigators are working to get into livelsberger's phone and computers, which could potentially be a treasure trove of information, ultimately helping them figure out a motive, mary. >> mary: but again, so far, no signs of any connection to that attack in new orleans. mola, thank you. now, to the breaking news from california. a small plane crashing near the airport. in fullerton. the images just coming in, showing the smoke and first responders on the scene. one person was killed. at least 15 were injured. the investigation now under way. abc's jaclyn lee in california with the details just coming in. >> reporter: 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. >> reporter: dozens of responders racing to the scene just after 2:00 p.m. tonight that death toll now rising to at least two. more than a dozen also injured. the single engine aircraft smashing into this commercial building in fullerton, smoke seen from the nearby airport. injuries ranging from miner to severe police say. you can see the crater in the top of the roof, smoke billowing out. a line of firefighters using chainsaws to get inside. evacuations now under way. on the ground, firefighters tending to multiple victims and gaining access to the building. mary, fullerton fire is leading the investigation with residents told to avoid the area. mary? >> okay, jaclyn, thank you. now to capitol hill, where a new congress is set to be sworn in tomorrow with the race for house speaker a cliff-hanger. speaker mike johnson sounding confident that despite republicans' razor thin margin in the house, he does have the support he needs to keep the gavel, but even though president-elect trump has endorsed him, just one

republican house member says he's a firm no, and at least 16 others are undecided. johnson meeting with some of them today. and when we come back, the first major winter storm of the year, stretching 1,500 miles. and the famous family of singers, former teen idols. tonight, remembering one of their brothers. if you're living with dry amd, you may be at risk for developing geographic atrophy, or ga. ga can be unpredictable—and progress rapidly—leading to irreversible vision loss. now there's something you can do to... ♪ ( slow. it. down.) ♪ ♪ ( get it goin' slower.)♪ ask your doctor about izervay. ♪ (i. zer. vay.) ♪ ♪ ( gets ga goin' slower.) ♪ izervay is an eye injection. don't take it if you have an infection or active swelling in or around your eye. izervay can cause eye infection, retinal detachment, or increased risk of wet amd. izervay may temporarily increase eye pressure. do not drive or use machinery until vision has recovered after an eye injection or exam.

izervay is proven to slow ga progression, which may help preserve vision longer. ♪ ( i. zer. vay.) ♪ ♪ (gets ga goin' slower.) ♪ so shift gears and get going. don't delay. ask your doctor about izervay. here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max! ok, noah's going to make a fire. our job is to let him do it...by himself.. what kind of wood you got there? gregggg! it is important to challenge young homeowners turning into their parents. -mm... -oh! -not a great start. -you got to turn it. you got to turn it. doesn't look structurally sound here. tom! they can't help themselves. -a fire starter?! -you know cavemen, they built fires with nothing but their wits and their bare hands. progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents,

but we can protect your home and auto -when you bundle with us. -can't watch this. always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. the virus that causes shingles is sleeping... in 99% of people over 50. it's lying dormant, waiting... and could reactivate. shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention. and tonight, we're tracking the first major and tonight, we're tracking the first major winter storm of the new year. the system stretching for 1,500 miles, from kansas to the

northeast. brutal cold settling in across half the country, with some temperatures plunging below zero. so, let's get right to meteorologist jeff smith from our new york station wabc. hey, jeff. >> mary, in the meantime, over a foot of snow has accumulated over western new york from the lake-effect snow. lake-effect snow warnings continue from cleveland, all the way up to syracuse. and we have new snow alerts over the mid-atlantic. we're talking west virginia over to south jersey. maybe several inches of snow as we head into the day tomorrow. but this will all pale in comparison to the monster storm that will be developing over the central part of the country over the weekend. here's that 1,500-mile swath of snow and ice from kansas, all the way to the nation's capital. this will go sunday into the day on monday. significant icing in that swath. and also upwards of over half a foot of snow a possibility. so, really hazardous travel conditions developing by sunday. behind it, prolonged arctic cold. we're talking midwest, northeast, all the way down to the deep south, deep into next week. mary? >> mary: all right, here we go. the first major storm of the

year. jeff, thank you. and when we come back here, the delta flight forced to return just after takeoff. the flames coming from the engine. and remembering one of the brothers from a famous family of singers. famous family of si oh, it's cold outside. time to protect your vehicle from winter's wrath. of course, the hot sun can be tough on vehicles too. you need weathertech. laser measured floorliners and cargo liner will shield the carpeting from sand and snow. for your interior, there's seat protector and sunshade. plus, mud flaps and bumpstep for the exterior.

impactliner, with shock absorbing rings, safeguards your truck bed from costly damage. order american made products at wt.com surf's up! i brought in ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks! —uh. —here i'll take that. [cheering] ensure max protein, 30 grams protein, 1 gram sugar and a protein blend to feed muscles up to 7 hours. ♪ dupixent helps people with asthma breathe better in as little as 2 weeks. so this is better. that too. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. it works with your asthma medicine to help improve lung function. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems and doesn't replace a rescue inhaler.

it's proven to help prevent asthma attacks. severe allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue or throat swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing. tell your doctor right away of signs of inflamed blood vessels like rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in limbs. tell your doctor of new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop steroid, asthma, or other treatments without talking to your doctor. when you can get more out of your lungs, you can du more with less asthma. and isn't that better? ask your doctor about dupixent, the most prescribed biologic in asthma. and now approved as an add-on treatment for adults with copd that is not well controlled, and with a specific marker of inflammation. on chewy, save 35% and shop all your favorite brands. for any taste, or any diet, at prices you love. delivered fast. for low prices, for life of pets, there's chewy. you've got a pepto predicament, ace.

you overdid it on the loaded fries. undo it with pepto fast melts. ♪ when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion, ♪ ♪ upset stomach, diarrhea. ♪ when you overdo it... ...undo it with pepto bismol. to the index tonight. the fbi releasing new images of the attempts pipe bombing the night before the january 6th attack on the capitol. video showing the new angle of the individual planting a pipe bomb outside the democratic national committee headquarters outside the democratic national city headquarters on january 5th, 2021, and images of the suspect's distinct sneakers. no suspect has yet been identified. a delta airlines flight from atlanta to brazil was forced to turn back because of flames coming from the engine. video i shoulding fire bursting from the left engine shortly after takeoff. the plane returning safely to jackson hartsfield airport. the faa are investigating the problem. and a passing note. we learned today singer wayne

osmond has died following a stroke. an original member of the osmond brothers and the older brother of donnie and marie osmond. the osmond brothers performing together for decades. donnie osmond saying his brother brought light, laughter and love to everyone who knew him. wayne osmond was 73. and when we come back, the new images emerging from new orleans. bourbon street reopening now to the public. my ride or die. boom! if you know, you know. let's go. this stuff changed my life. so good. high protein. check. one gram of sugar. oh, yeah. and a flavor for every vibe. (♪) (♪) premier protein. sweeten the journey.

♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing non-medicated vicks vapors. easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick. and try new vaposhower max for steamy vicks vapors. that is their question. and nobody knows shoppers better than shopify. the undisputed, undefeated, checkout champion of the world. businesses that want to win, win with shopify. it's time to feed the dogs real food in the right amount. a healthy weight can help dogs live a longer and happier life. the farmer's dog makes weight management easy with fresh food pre-portioned for your dog's needs. it's an idea whose time has come.

hank used to suffer from what felt like a cold & flu medicine hangover in the morning. ha ha. haha! then he switched to mucinex nightshift. mucinex is uniquely formulated to leave your system faster, so you wake up ready to go. uhh, hank! try mucinex nightshift and feel the difference. hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release so it smells first-day fresh for 50 days. 50 days!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪ ♪ oh in a harbor, there was a port ♪ ♪ the busiest port, that you ever did see ♪ ♪ now the boats move the goods ♪ ♪ good jobs for the people ♪ ♪ the people build the city ♪ ♪ and the city comes to life ♪ ♪ and the life has a rhythm ♪ ♪ and rhythm has a home... ♪ jpmorganchase invests in infrastructure to help create more jobs here at home. ♪ make the green grass grow all around all around ♪ ♪ make the green grass grow all around ♪ ♪

for more than a decade farxiga has been trusted again and again, and again. ♪far-xi-ga♪ ♪far-xi-ga♪ ask your doctor about farxiga. at six. will the san francisco police resume work with the fbi to fight terrorism? plus, a controversial ordinance to protect south bay waterways finally gets enforced. before we go, the spirit of new orleans in the french quarter. bourbon street is open again, so, let's get back to whit johnson. whit? >> reporter: mary, new orleans is no stranger to tragedy, and already tonight, we're seeing signs of the resilience here. a brass band bringing jazz music back to bourbon street, just hours ago, the scene of such horror.

a memorial laid for the victims. yellow roses. and, of course, mardi gras beads. this city not letting terror crush the powerful symbols of new orleans, music, togetherness, and compassion. mary? >> mary: new orleans strong. whit, thank you. thank you for watching. i'm mary bruce. i hope to see you right back here tomorrow night. for david and all of us here, good night at six. will san francisco police resume work with the fbi to fight terrorism? there's a new push to rejoin the joint terrorism task force. >> we'll be joined live by abc seven news insider phil matier for his perspective on the attack in new orleans and the local connection to a familiar family. >> wet weather and big waves on the way. i'm meteorologist sandhya patel. will time it out for tomorrow. coming up. >> building a better bay area takes time, and after a lot of

time, enforcement begins today on a plan to protect south bay waterways. >> always live abc seven news starts right now. >> people in new orleans are sending an unmistakable message. >> they're back on bourbon street the day after a deadly terror attack. now, investigators are putting together the pieces of exactly how it happened. here's a live look at new orleans now from earth. cam, this is bourbon street where this tragedy occurred. good evening. thank you for joining us. >> i'm dan ashley and i'm j.r. stone in the wake of the attack in new orleans, the san francisco police officers union is asking the department to reinstate its partnership with the fbi's joint terrorism task force. >> the partnership was suspended in 2017 because of pressure from civil liberties advocates. >> abc seven news reporter suzanne fawn is live in the newsroom with a closer look at the concern j.r.

>> dan, the