Death toll rises to 15 in 'terrorism' attack in New Orleans

The FBI said Wednesday afternoon the death toll has risen to 15 in the terror attack in New Orleans earlier in the day, after confirming the agency has classified the mass killing as an act of terrorism and will lead the investigation. 

At least five other people remain injured. 

The suspect was identified earlier in the day as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He died in a shootout with police after the incident. 

The FBI also confirmed the presence of an apparent ISIS flag in the Ford pickup truck used in the attack and said the agency is “working to determine the subject's potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” according to an agency news release.

The incident occurred at about 3:15 a.m. when the Jabbar drove his pickup into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, the FBI said earlier. "The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism."

New Orleans officials and the FBI initially seemed to disagree on whether the incident of a driver plowing into a crowd of people in the city's famed French Quarters was indeed a terrorism act.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the incident a terrorist attack, while FBI agent Alethea Duncan said, “This is not a terrorist event," according to CNN.