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Join Telegram ChannelNew Orleans was still reeling Friday, the third day since the ramming truck attack killed 14 people, as well as the suspected terrorist who died in a shootout with police early in the New Year.
The FBI released bizarre new surveillance footage Thursday showing the now-deceased suspect — Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42 — about an hour before he allegedly drove a rented Ford pickup truck through a crowd of partygoers in Bourbon Street during the attack that took place. officials say it was inspired by the Islamic State. More than 30 other people were injured. Although it had already investigated possible accomplices in the attack, the FBI said Thursday it was convinced Jabbar acted alone.
The investigation has now turned to how Jabbar – a US Army veteran who recently held a six-figure job – became radicalized. He grew up Muslim in Texas and recently lived in Houston.
“This investigation is only a little over 24 hours old and we have no indication at this point that anyone other than Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar was involved in this attack,” said Christopher Raia, Deputy Director of the FBI, FBI Counterterrorism Division. The headquarters said Thursday. “The FBI is sending people and assets to this area, from across the region and across the country. Special agents in field offices across the country are assisting with potential aspects of this investigation and following up on leads. Additional teams of special agents and professional personnel, and victim specialists continue to arrive to provide more investigative power and assistance to victims and their families.
“Let's be very clear: What happened here in New Orleans was an act of terrorism. It was a premeditated and evil act,” he added.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS OF THE NEW ORLEANS TERROR ATTACK
Surveillance footage released by the FBI shows Jabbar, neatly dressed in a long light brown coat, dark button-down shirt, blue jeans and brown dress shoes, walking along Dauphine Street near the street Governor Nicholls at 2:03 a.m. CST. – about an hour before the attack. Additional footage showed coolers Jabbar allegedly placed on the street. Authorities said he placed improvised explosive devices inside with the intention of causing additional carnage.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released photos of surveillance footage showing Shamsud-Din Jabbar an hour before driving a truck on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early on January 1, 2025. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
Federal authorities were also searching an Airbnb property in New Orleans rented by Jabbar that caught fire early Wednesday morning, as well as Jabbar's home in Houston.
Bourbon Street – famous around the world for its music, outdoor drinks and party atmosphere – reopened its doors early Thursday afternoon.
The Sugar Bowl college football game between Notre Dame and Georgia, which was postponed a day in the interest of national security, was played Thursday evening. The Joan of Arc parade in the French Quarter is still scheduled for Monday to kick off the Carnival season before Mardi Gras, said Antoinette de Alteriis, one of the organizers. She said they were expecting a typical crowd of around 30,000 attendees.
The FBI continued to search for clues about Jabbar but, a day into its investigation, the agency said it was confident he was not helped by anyone else in the attack, which killed an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, father of two and former Princeton University football star, among others.
The FBI said that hours before the attack, Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, posted five videos to his Facebook account in which he proclaimed his support for the Islamic State group and previewed the violence it would soon face. trigger in the famous French Quarter. . It was the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in years, laying bare what federal officials have called a resurgent international terrorism threat.
It also comes as the FBI and other agencies prepare for a dramatic leadership shake-up and likely policy changes after President-elect Donald Trump's administration takes office.
BOMB MATERIALS FOUND IN NEW ORLEANS AIRBNB POTENTIALLY LINKED TO BOURBON STREET TERRORIST: REPORT
Raia stressed that there was no indication of a link between the New Orleans attack and Wednesday's explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.
Plans to attack New Orleans also included placing crude bombs in the neighborhood in an apparent effort to cause more carnage, officials said. Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were secured at the scene. Other devices were found to be non-functional.
Investigators were also trying to better understand Jabbar's path to radicalization, which they say culminated with him picking up a rented truck in Houston on Dec. 30 and transporting him to New Orleans the following night .
The FBI recovered a black ISIS flag from Jabbar's rented van and reviewed five videos posted to Facebook, including one in which he said he initially planned to harm his family and friends, but worried that the headlines would not focus on the “war between believers and believers.” disbelievers,” Raia said. Jabbar also said he joined ISIS before last summer and provided a will, the FBI said.
Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, serving on active duty in human resources and information technology and deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, the service said.
He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
A half-brother of Jabbar told Fox News that the alleged New Orleans attacker had become radicalized and was having trouble finding himself.
Fox News spoke with Abdur Rahim-Jabbar in Beaumont, Texas, where they grew up alongside three other siblings.
Abdur said they grew up Muslim, along with his entire family. He said Jabbar had drifted away from Islam, but found his way back after his divorce in 2022.
Jabbar struggled to find himself throughout his life, his half-brother told Fox News. He said his half-brother joined the military to “find something, get it straightened out, ground it and maybe find a viable career.”
After Jabbar's two divorces, his brother said he was “looking for some kind of counseling.” His half-brother blamed the attack on radicalization and said he had seen no signs before the attack, while expressing condolences for the lives lost. He said this “was not a direct reflection of his brother and the Muslim community.”
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A U.S. government official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Jabbar visited Egypt in 2023, staying in Cairo for a week, before returning to the United States and then traveling to Toronto for three days. It was not immediately clear what he did during these trips.
On Bourbon Street, flowers and candles were placed in memory of the victims, while yellow poles were installed on the surrounding blocks. On Thursday night, bouncers danced to club music, tourists posed for photos and a group of street performers preparing to knock down a line of people had no trouble attracting a massive audience.
Brooke Taylor of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.