Stephen A. Smith has stressed that there are “sick individuals in America who want people to suffer” in a terrifying verdict following the New Orleans terrorist attack.
The Louisiana city was devastated after a terrorist drove a vehicle into a large crowd celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning; a senseless act of chaos that claimed the lives of 15 people and left 35 injured.
The driver has been identified by the FBI as Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, who was killed in a shootout with police after plowing into the group at high speed before getting out and firing a gun.
Investigators also found what appeared to be improvised explosives at the crash site that did not detonate, along with a ISIS flag and weapons as the FBI continues to evaluate Jabbar's connection to the terrorist group.
In the wake of the attack, ESPN First Take co-host Smith admitted that the United States still has “a long way to go” after admitting that the nation contains “people who are determined to wreak havoc.”
“It's devastating and shows that no matter how far we've come as a nation, we still have a long way to go.” “We have some really sick people who want to see the world burn, they want people to suffer,” he said on Thursday's edition of First Take.
Stephen A. Smith has stressed that the United States contains “sick individuals” after the New Orleans attack
New Orleans is reeling after a terrorist drove a vehicle into a large crowd, killing 15 people.
'I won't say all of them, but they want the country to experience a precipitous demise and I think that's clearly obvious.
“Those are people who are on the margins. The vast majority of American citizens are law-abiding, God-fearing people who want the best for themselves and everyone else; They basically want peace to reign.
“But there are people who are determined to wreak havoc and take lives along the way if necessary.”
Following the devastating events of Wednesday morning, the long-awaited college football quarterfinal between No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame, initially scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET on New Year's Day Again, it was delayed until 4 pm Thursday.
As authorities continued to conduct security checks, and with the city on high alert, officials postponed the Sugar Bowl game at Caesars Superdome for 24 hours, given that the attack took place approximately ten blocks from the stadium.
“I totally agree with the decision to postpone this game, it was the right decision,” Smith continued.
“When you hear that initially 10 people and then we finally found out that 15 people had died, when there is an investigation into whether or not it was a coordinated attack, when you hear that there were elements of terrorism that are being investigated as a strong suspicion” That definitely raises red flags and gives you reason to pause.”
Shamsud Din Jabbar (pictured), 42, has been identified as the driver of the attack.
“I'm thinking about what's happening there today, I'm thinking about the fact that the Super Bowl will be there next month.
'New Orleans is a phenomenal city. It's a party city, it's full of joy and all that, but on the contrary, it has had tragedies in the past. But in the end they have overcome many things. This is still the last thing they have to overcome.
'But we are all involved in this because obviously there are suspicions that this was some kind of coordinated attack. We don't know for sure, it's still being investigated.
“But obviously there are people who are hell-bent on sowing chaos and instilling fear, and we have to show our intestinal resolve as a nation.”