Man behind New Year truck attack visited New Orleans twice before, says FBI

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

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen, also travelled to Cairo, Egypt, and Ontario, Canada, before the attack, although it is not clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia said at a press conference.

The attack early on Wednesday was carried out by Jabbar, a former US Army soldier from Houston. Police fatally shot the 42-year-old at the scene of the crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.

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

Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, said Jabbar travelled to Cairo in summer 2023 and 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,” Mr Myrthil said.

Jabbar had also travelled to New Orleans in October. Mr Myrthil said video shows him riding through the French Quarter on a bicycle wearing “meta glasses” which can record or livestream.

President Joe Biden plans 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”.

Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said 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 rental vehicle used in the attack more than six weeks earlier, on November 14, according to law enforcement officials who spoke to the Associated Press.

He had suspected bomb-making materials at his home which contained a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices, sources said.

Authorities found crude bombs in the neighbourhood of the attack in an apparent attempt to cause more carnage.

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 rented truck found a transmitter intended to trigger the two bombs, the FBI said on Friday, adding that there were bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home he rented.

He 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 got out of the crashed truck wearing a ballistic vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before he was fatally shot by police.

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.

The first parade of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras is scheduled for Monday evening. New Orleans also will host American football’s showpiece Super Bowl event on February 9.

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

By New Year’s Eve, the bollards had been removed. They will be replaced ahead of the Super Bowl, officials have said.

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.