The FBI says man responsible for New Year’s truck attack visited New Orleans twice before

The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with hands-free glasses, an FBI official said Sunday.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Houston, also traveled to Cairo, Egypt, and Ontario, Canada, before the attack. However, it was unclear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a news conference.

Jabbar, a former U.S. Army soldier from Houston, carried out the attack early Wednesday. Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during a firefight at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.

Federal investigators so far believe Jabbar acted alone.

“All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” said Raia. “We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders.”

Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, said the suspect in the attack traveled to Cairo in the summer of 2023 and then to Canada a few days later.

“Our agents are getting answers to where he went, who he went with, and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here,” Myrthil said.

President Joe Biden planned to travel to New Orleans with first lady Jill Biden on Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”

Jabbar proclaimed his support for the Islamic State militant group in online videos posted hours before he struck. It was the deadliest IS-inspired assault on U.S. soil in years, laying bare what federal officials have warned is a resurgent international terrorism threat.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that the country faces “not only the persistent threat of foreign terrorism … for the past 10 years, we’ve seen a significant increase in what we term homegrown violent extremism.”

Jabbar reserved the vehicle used in the attack more than six weeks earlier, on Nov. 14, according to law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Jabbar had suspected bomb-making materials at his Houston home, which contained a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices, officials familiar with a search conducted there said.

Authorities found crude bombs in the neighborhood of the attack in an apparent attempt to cause more carnage. Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were rendered safe at the scene. Other devices were determined to be non-functional. Jabbar purchased a cooler in Vidor, Texas, hours before the attack and gun oil from a store in Sulphur, Louisiana, investigators said.

Investigators searching Jabbar’s rental truck found a transmitter intended to trigger the two bombs, the FBI said in a statement Friday, adding that there were bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home he rented. Jabbar tried to burn down the house by setting a small fire in a hallway with accelerants, but the flames burned out before firefighters arrived.

Jabbar exited the crashed truck wearing a ballistic vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before police fatally shot him. New Orleans police have declined to say how many shots were fired by Jabbar and the officers or whether any bystanders may have been hit, citing the active investigation.

Since the attack, police have used multiple vehicles and barricades to block traffic on Bourbon and Canal streets. Reese Harper, a New Orleans police spokesperson, said other law enforcement agencies helped city officers provide extra security.

The first parade of the Carnival season, leading up to Mardi Gras, was scheduled for Monday evening. New Orleans will also host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.

In a previous effort to protect the French Quarter, the city installed steel columns known as bollards to restrict vehicle access to Bourbon Street. The posts were retracted to allow deliveries to bars and restaurants. They stopped working reliably after being gummed up by Mardi Gras beads, beer and other detritus.

When New Year’s Eve arrived, the bollards were gone. Officials have said they will be replaced ahead of the Super Bowl.

The New Orleans coroner’s office has identified all 14 victims, with the youngest listed as 18 and the oldest 63. Most of the victims were in their 20s. About 30 people were injured.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.