Shocking FBI Discovery: New Orleans Truck Attack Suspect Tied to Two Suspicious Visits
On Sunday, the FBI revealed that its investigation had extended across state lines and internationally, with agents pursuing leads in multiple states and abroad.
On Sunday, an FBI official revealed that the individual responsible for the deadly truck attack in New Orleans had visited the city twice prior to the horrific incident that shocked the nation on New Year’s Day. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran and U.S. citizen from Texas, is suspected of carrying out the assault alone.
Authorities have described the attack as a premeditated act of terrorism. According to federal officials, Jabbar was reportedly motivated by extremist ideologies, particularly influenced by the Islamic State (ISIS), which led him to launch the deadly attack early in the morning on January 1st.
Authorities reported that Shamsud-Din Jabbar was killed in a violent shootout with police after he deliberately drove his pick-up truck into a crowd of people celebrating on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ iconic French Quarter. The attack, which occurred on New Year’s Day, left many in shock and grief.
On Sunday, the FBI provided an update, revealing that their investigation has expanded far beyond New Orleans, as it now spans multiple states and even countries. The agency has been actively pursuing leads in various locations, including Egypt, Canada, Florida, and Georgia. Investigators are closely examining the nature of Jabbar’s travels to these areas, with a particular focus on determining whether there is any connection between those trips and the tragic attack in New Orleans.
“We have also tracked that Jabbar traveled to Cairo, Egypt, from June 22 until July 3 of 2023,” said Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans field office, during Sunday’s news conference. “A few days later he flew to Ontario, Canada, on July 10 and returned to the U.S. on July 13 of 2023.”
“Our agents are getting answers as to where he went, who he met with and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions in our city in New Orleans,” he added.
Myrthil further revealed that Jabbar made at least two visits to New Orleans before carrying out the attack, one in October and another in November. Along with his travels to Egypt, Canada, and New Orleans, Jabbar is also known to have visited locations in Atlanta and Tampa, Florida. In addition, federal authorities are investigating his activities in Houston, where he was living at the time of the attack.
A total of 14 people tragically lost their lives in the attack, and more than 30 others were injured. The New Orleans coroner’s office has confirmed the identities of all 14 victims, with ages ranging from 18 to 63. The majority of those killed were in their 20s.
Authorities have indicated that the death toll could have been even higher, as law enforcement discovered two explosive devices that had been concealed in coolers near the attack site. One was found at the intersection of Bourbon and Orleans streets, while the other was located about two blocks away at a different intersection. Fortunately, the explosive devices did not detonate, preventing further loss of life and injury.
The FBI has shared a timeline leading up to the deadly attack, revealing that Jabbar stayed at a rental home in New Orleans starting on October 30, 2024, as per Myrthil’s report. He remained in the city for a minimum of two days during that trip.
Jabbar made a second visit to New Orleans on November 10, but authorities are still working to gather more information about that trip, according to Myrthil. On December 31, he was spotted at one of several gun stores he visited in Texas in the days leading up to the attack. Later, he stopped at another business in Texas, where he purchased one of the coolers that were later used to conceal an explosive device.
According to Myrthil, authorities estimate that Jabbar crossed into Louisiana on December 31 at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time. His rental vehicle, a white pick-up truck, was later seen around 9 p.m. in Gonzales, Louisiana, located about 60 miles northwest of New Orleans’ French Quarter. By 10 p.m., home surveillance footage captured Jabbar unloading the truck outside a rental home in New Orleans. Less than three hours later, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, Jabbar parked the truck near the attack site and walked to the intersection of Royal and Governor Nicholls streets.
Around an hour later, Jabbar placed the first explosive device inside a cooler at the intersection of Bourbon and St. Peter streets, according to Myrthil. “Someone on Bourbon Street, who we believe had no involvement in the attack, moved the cooler a block to Bourbon and Orleans streets, where our teams discovered it after the assault,” Myrthil explained. Jabbar then placed a second explosive device in another cooler at 2:20 a.m. on Bourbon and Toulouse streets. At approximately 3:15 a.m., Jabbar drove his truck into the crowd, using it as a “lethal weapon,” before crashing into construction equipment. He was eventually stopped by officers from the New Orleans Police Department.
At around 5 a.m., a fire was reported at Jabbar’s rental home, and the New Orleans Fire Department later discovered explosive devices upon entering, as stated by Myrthil. Joshua Jackson, the ATF special agent in charge of the New Orleans field office, confirmed that the agency determined Jabbar had been alone at the residence throughout the incident. He started the fire deliberately, likely to destroy evidence, setting it in a linen closet and using accelerants in other rooms of the house before heading to Bourbon Street.
During a news conference on Sunday, Jackson explained, “His intention was to burn the entire house down and destroy evidence of his crimes.” However, the fire eventually extinguished itself due to a lack of oxygen and fuel, and it never spread to the accelerants placed in the other rooms. A neighbor noticed the smell of smoke and called 911, prompting the New Orleans Fire Department to respond. Upon arrival, fire crews extinguished the smoldering fire and, upon discovering evidence in the house, alerted law enforcement.
Jackson stated that the ATF traced a semi-automatic 9mm pistol and a semi-automatic rifle recovered from Jabbar during the investigation. The agency discovered that Jabbar had purchased the rifle on November 19 in Arlington, Texas, through a private sale. “The person who sold the rifle had no connection to Jabbar,” Jackson explained. “It was a random encounter, and there’s no indication that the seller was aware of Jabbar’s radicalization or knew that an attack was about to take place.”
Jackson also confirmed that additional firearms were found at the scene, including “privately made silencers.” One silencer was attached to the rifle, while another was discovered at Jabbar’s rental home. He further addressed recent reports from preliminary field tests, which suggested that Jabbar had used a rare explosive compound. “R-Salt closely resembles RDX, both in appearance, texture, and chemical composition, and RDX is a widely available explosive in the U.S.,” Jackson explained. “Similar tests were conducted in Houston at Jabbar’s residence, and the results confirmed the presence of true RDX.”
Jackson mentioned that authorities expect further tests to confirm that the materials used in the explosive devices are definitively RDX. He also stated that other materials involved in the devices are commonly available in the U.S. According to Jackson, the explosive devices Jabbar used are “not unique,” with the only notable difference being that he employed an explosive material triggered by a detonator.
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