What we know about the suspect in the New Orleans attack
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(NEW ORLEANS, LA) — The suspect in a deadly attack on New Year’s revelers in New Orleans has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, according to the FBI.
At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured after a man drove a Ford pickup truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street at a high rate of speed early Wednesday, authorities said.
Authorities are working to determine whether the deceased suspect had any affiliation with terrorist organizations after an ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, the FBI said.
After barreling through the crowd over a three-block stretch, the suspect allegedly got out of the truck wielding an assault rifle and opened fire on police officers, law enforcement officials briefed on the incident told ABC News. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect, police said. At least two police officers were shot and wounded, authorities said.
“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said at a press briefing on Wednesday. “It was not a DUI situation. This is more complex and more serious.”
She said the driver was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
Weapons and a “potential IED” were located in the subject’s vehicle, according to the FBI, which is leading the investigation.
“Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter,” the FBI said in a statement. “The FBI’s Special Agent Bomb Technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if any of these devices are viable and they will work to render those devices safe.”
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the horrific incident as a “terrorist attack” and the FBI said it was being investigated as an act of terror.
Investigators are probing whether the suspect acted alone or had help from others in planning and executing the attack, Jason Williams, the district attorney of Orleans Parish, which includes New Orleans, told ABC News.
The truck used in the attack appeared to be a Ford F-150 Lightning, an electric vehicle. It appears the truck was rented through the Turo app — a carsharing company, according to Rodrigo Diaz, the owner of the truck.
Diaz told ABC News he rented the truck to an individual through the app and is currently talking to the FBI. He declined further comment.
Diaz’s wife, Dora Diaz, told ABC News that she and her husband are devastated by the incident.
“My husband rents cars through the Turo app. I can’t tell you anything else. I’m here with my kids, and this is devastating,” Dora Diaz said.
(FORT MYERS, Fla.) — A man who escaped a Puerto Rican prison nearly 40 years ago was taken into custody in Florida, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Jorge Milla-Valdes escaped from a Puerto Rican prison in 1987. The Puerto Rico Department of Justice believed he was living under the name Luis Aguirre.
His criminal history included robbery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in Florida’s Monroe County, according to the sheriff’s office.
The LCSO Fugitive Warrants Unit searched for Milla-Valdes and obtained the original 1986 fingerprints from Puerto Rico, and a set from his criminal history in Monroe County.
“Latent Fingerprints Supervisor Tina Carver expedited the fingerprint comparison. 15-minutes later -and using finger prints that were taken over 40 years ago- Supervisor Carver was able to match the prints, and confirm that Aguirre and Milla-Valdes was the same individual who had escaped,” the sheriff’s office said.
The fugitives unit was informed of the match and Milla-Valdes was taken into custody two hours later in Ft. Myers Shores, according to the sheriff’s office.
“They don’t want me. They told me about two times,” Milla-Valdes told officers as he was taken into custody, police bodycam footage shows.
“Now they do. They changed their mind,” an arresting officer responded.
The sheriff applauded his unit’s fast response.
“My team’s skill is unmatched at every level; even if your crimes don’t start here in Lee County, I promise, they WILL end here,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — The corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams should be dropped because of “an extraordinary flurry” of leaks by prosecutors, his attorney said in a new court filing Wednesday.
The attorney, Alex Spiro, accused “someone within the government” of leaking a letter written by then-acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who resigned in protest of an order to dismiss the bribery and campaign finance charges.
The letter, dated Feb. 12, said the Justice Department agreed to dismiss criminal charges as part of a quid pro quo to secure the mayor’s help with President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
“The disclosure of this letter to the press was part of an extraordinary flurry of leaked internal Justice Department correspondence that included memoranda from the Acting Deputy Attorney General to the Southern District and an unhinged resignation letter by one of the former line prosecutors on this case,” Spiro said.
The line prosecutor Spiro references is Hagan Scotten, whose resignation letter said only a “fool” or “coward” would carry out the order to drop the mayor’s case.
“In addition to violating Mayor Adams’s fundamental constitutional rights and ability to receive a fair trial, the government’s leaks violated numerous statutory and court rules, including the Justice Department’s own longstanding policies aimed at curbing prosecutorial misconduct,” Spiro said. “Simply put, the government’s conduct has destroyed whatever presumption of innocence Mayor Adams had left.”
The judge, Dale Ho, declined to immediately grant the Trump administration’s motion to dismiss the case and appointed Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general, to examine the government’s motives.
In the new motion filed first thing Wednesday morning, Adams asked the court to toss the case for a new reason — prosecutorial misconduct.
“The Court should act swiftly and dismiss this case with prejudice to prevent further irrevocable harm to Mayor Adams,” the motion said.
(NEW YORK) — President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in his New York hush money case after a jury in May convicted him on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Judge Juan Merchan has signaled his intention to sentence Trump to an “unconditional discharge” — allowing Trump to avoid prison, fines or probation — out of respect for the principle of presidential immunity, which takes effect on Jan. 20 once Trump becomes president.
Trump, who has maintained his innocence throughout the case, has blasted the prosecution as politically motivated.
Merchan sentences Trump to unconditional discharge
Before sentencing Trump, Judge Merchan emphasizes that the “protections afforded to the office of the president” apply only to that office, “not the occupant of the office.”
“It is through that lens and that reality that this court must determine a lawful sentence,” Merchan says.
“Sir, I wish you god speed as you assume your second term in office,” Merchan tells Trump in conclusion.
“This court has determined that the only lawful sentence … is an unconditional discharge,” Merchan says.
The hearing over, Trump logs off his remote connection.
‘I have been treated very, very unfairly,’ says Trump
Trump concludes his statement by saying, “I have been treated very, very unfairly, and thank you very much.”
His tone for all his remarks was very calm and balanced — he said it plainly as if he was reading a speech. He never appeared to raise his voice.
Judge Merchan is now explaining his reasoning for his unconditional discharge sentence.
Trump is looking directly into the camera as Merchan explains his sentence.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Merchan says. “This has been a truly extraordinary case.”
Merchan is now remarking on the unremarkable nature of the trial, no different than any other trial that has taken place in this storied courthouse.
But the circumstances of this sentence are “extraordinary,” Merchan remarks regarding presidential immunity.
‘This has been a very terrible experience,’ Trump says
“This has been a very terrible experience,” Trump says, addressing the court on the large monitor.
“I think it’s been a tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system,” he said.
Trump is now going after a former assistant district attorney who resigned from the office before his indictment was brought.
He blames accountants for logging the hush payment to Stormy Daniels a legal expense.
“It’s incredible actually,” Trump says about his actions that prompted his indictment, arguing he correctly labeled Cohen’s payments as legal expenses.
Trump says this was a case Alvin Bragg did not want to bring, as the DA stared straight ahead expressionless, watching the feed.
“It’s an injustice of justice,” Trump says about the the case, citing a series of legal experts who criticized the case.
“It’s been a political witch hunt, it was damage my reputation so I would lose the election,” Trump says, boasting how he got more votes than any Republican and won all seven swing states.
Judge Merchan is calmly watching Trump speak with his hand on his chin.
‘Case should not have been brought,’ Trump lawyer says
“I very, very much disagree with what the government just said,” Trump attorney Todd Blanche says.
Blanche says Trump has been “fighting” this case to this day, and that they disagree that this was “an appropriate case to be brought.”
“It was not,” Blanche says.
“We intend on appealing,” Blanche confirms.
“Legally this case should not have been brought,” Blanche says, with Trump nodding his head in agreement. “The majority of the American people agree that this case should not have been brought.”
“Its a sad day for President Trump and his family and his friends. But its also, in Counsel’s view, a sad day for this country,” he says. “This was brought by a district attorney who promised he would go after President Trump if elected and that’s sad.”
Trump engaged in a ‘direct attack on the rule of law’: Prosecutors
“Instead of preserving, protecting and defending our established system of criminal justice, the once and future president engaged in a campaign to undermine its legitimacy,” prosecutor Josh Steinglass says.
When Steinglass brings up what he said was Trump’s “conduct before during and after the trial,” Trump crosses his arms and leans back. He shakes his head “no” when Steinglass mentions his efforts to “undermine its legitimacy.”
“Far from expressing any kind of remorse,” Trump has “bred disdain for our judicial institutions and the rule of law. He did so “to serve his own ends,” Steinglass says. Steinglass says Trump’s conduct surrounding the trial, particularly attacks on the judge and others involved in the case, “constitutes a direct attack on the rule of law”
Steinglass also calls out Trump for having “bred disdain for our judicial systems and the rule of law” and for being “unrelenting in his unsubstantiated attacks” on the court and prosecutions, including public threats to retaliate against them.
“This defendant has caused enduring damage to the criminal justice system, and has put officers of the court in harms way,” he says. “This defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the criminal justice system and put its officers of the court in harm’s way.”
Prosecution recommends ‘unconditional discharge’
The judge is now giving both parties the opportunity to speak.
The people recommend a sentence of an unconditional discharge, prosecutor Josh Steinglass says.
Trump appears to be taking notes.
“The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive and it must be respected,” Steinglass says.
Judge confirms Trump agreed to appear virtually
Judge Merchan begins by confirming that Trump is waiving his right to appear in person and that both parties have reviewed the court’s probation report. Trump also attended his probation interview virtually last year.
Merchan asks both sides if they received copies of the probation report. They both say they did.
Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche raises one small issue that the procedural history and information about other cases is in the report is “not up to date.”
DA Bragg, Trump’s attorney arrive in courtroom
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and attorneys on his staff have entered the courtroom.
Prosecutors Joshua Steinglass, Christopher Conroy, and Susan Hoffinger are seated at counsel table. Seven other members of the DA’s office are also seated in the courtroom.
Trump’s attorney Emil Bove just arrived as well.
Security light at courthouse with Trump attending virtually
With Trump attending the hearing virtually from Florida, security is notably light in the lower Manhattan courthouse ahead of today’s 9:30 a.m. ET sentencing hearing.
The table where Trump and his lawyers normally sat for the trial last year is empty; instead, Trump will appear on the four flat-screen televisions mounted on the courtroom walls.
There are a few changes to the courtroom itself since Trump’s conviction seven months ago. The gallery is fully occupied and so longer subject to the security restrictions that limited its capacity, and the sketch artists are seated in the jury box. The tile floors in the courtroom are glaringly white, appearing to have been cleaned or replaced since the trial last year.
Trump to be sentenced after SCOTUS fails to halt hearing
President-elect Donald Trump will appear virtually from his Mar-a-Lago estate when he is sentenced this morning in a New York courtroom, after the Supreme Court rejected his eleventh-hour bid to block his sentencing from taking place.
Trump had asked the nation’s highest court to halt his criminal sentencing on the grounds that he was entitled to immunity as president-elect.
In a Thursday night ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump-appointee Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices to deny Trump the relief he sought, while Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh indicated they would have granted Trump’s request to halt his sentencing.
