At least 15 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after a vehicle flying an Islamic State (IS) flag drove into a crowd in New Orleans’ tourist district in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

The FBI said Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas, drove a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street at about 3.15am. He then got out and fired bullets at police – injuring two – before they shot him to death.

Jabbar’s truck appeared to have been rented, and agents were working to verify how he came to possess it, the FBI said. In addition to an Islamic State flag in the back, agents found weapons as well as a “potential” improvised explosive device.

At least two improvised explosive devices were planted relatively nearby but did not detonate, according to information in a bulletin distributed to senior law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

In brief remarks on Wednesday evening, Joe Biden said the FBI had found that “mere hours before the attack” the suspect “posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by Isis, expressing a desire to kill”.

Biden said the investigation was still in a preliminary stage and that the situation was “fluid”.