NEW ORLEANS — The man who rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers in New Orleans had suspected bomb-making materials at his home and reserved the vehicle used in the deadly attack more than six weeks earlier, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
What You Need To Know
- Federal authorities searching the home of Shamsud-Din Jabbar in Houston found a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the search
- A deadly New Year's truck attack along Bourbon Street killed 14 people, along with the driver
- Shamsud-Din Jabbar was fatally shot in a firefight with police after steering his speeding truck around a barricade and plowing into a crowd of revelers
- Authorities finished processing the scene Thursday morning and Bourbon Street reopened for business by early afternoon
Federal authorities searching the home of Shamsud-Din Jabbar in Houston found a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the search. The officials were not authorized to speak about the ongoing inquiry and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
The FBI investigation also revealed that Jabbar purchased a cooler in Vidor, Texas, hours before the attack and gun oil from a store in Sulphur, Louisiana, the officials said. Authorities also determined Jabbar booked his rental of the pickup truck on Nov. 14, suggesting he may have been plotting the attack for more than six weeks.
Authorities say 14 people were killed and about 30 were injured in the attack early Wednesday by Jabbar, a former Army soldier who posted social media messages saying he was inspired by the Islamic State militant group.
Jabbar, 42, was fatally shot in a firefight with police at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans' historic French Quarter.
Authorities found crude bombs that had been planted in the neighborhood in an apparent attempt to cause more carnage. Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were rendered safe at the scene, officials said. Other devices were determined to be nonfunctional.
Investigators recovered from Jabbar's rental truck a transmitter intended to trigger the two bombs, the FBI said in a statement Friday. It said authorities also found bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home Jabbar rented prior to the attack. Jabbar tried to burn the house down by setting a small fire in a hallway and placing accelerants to help spread it, the FBI said. The flames burned out before firefighters arrived.
Authorities on Friday were still investigating Jabbar's motives and how he carried out the attack. They say he exited the crashed truck wearing a ballistic vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before he was fatally shot by officers returning fire.
New Orleans police declined to say Friday how many shots were fired by Jabbar and police, and whether any bystanders may have been hit, citing the active investigation.
Stella Cziment, who heads the city's civilian-run Office of the Independent Police Monitor, said investigators are working to account for “every single bullet that was fired” and whether any of them struck bystanders.
“Even if it went into a building, a door or the side of a car, they’re going to try to locate that bullet,” Cziment told the AP.
Bourbon Street was solemn Friday. A day after the crime scene reopened to the public, locals and tourists stopped to pay respect to victims of the attack as the sound of bucket drums echoed. People shed tears while gathering at a growing memorial. Some left flowers and candles while others dropped to their knees to say a quick prayer.
Meanwhile, 13 people remained hospitalized. Eight people were in intensive care at University Medical Center New Orleans, spokesperson Carolina Giepert said.
The White House said President Joe Biden would travel to New Orleans next week. The president and first lady planned to visit Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”
Police used multiple vehicles and barricades on Friday to block traffic at Bourbon and Canal streets as crowds of pedestrians swelled. Other law enforcement agencies helped city officers provide extra security, said Reese Harper, a spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department.
The first parade of the Carnival season leading up to Mari Gras was scheduled to take place Monday. New Orleans will also host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
“This enhanced safety effort will continue daily, not just during large events,” Harper said in a news release.
In a previous effort to protect the French Quarter, the city had installed steel columns known as bollards to restrict vehicle access to Bourbon Street. The posts retracted to allow for deliveries to bars and restaurants, until — gummed up by Mardi Gras beads, beer and other detritus — they stopped working reliably.
So when New Year’s Eve arrived, the bollards were gone. They were being replaced ahead of the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno took steps toward launching a probe of the attack. In a memo to another council member obtained by AP, Moreno said she was initiating the creation of a local and state legislative committee “dedicated to reviewing the incident and its implications.”
“This committee will play a crucial role in assessing our current policies, enhancing security measures, and ensuring that we are adequately prepared to respond to any future threats,” Moreno wrote.
The FBI continued to hunt for clues about Jabbar after the agency concluded he was not aided by anyone else in the attack, which killed an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former Princeton University football star, among others.
The FBI said that hours before the attack, Jabbar posted five videos on his Facebook account in which he proclaimed his support for the Islamic State group and previewed the violence that he would soon unleash in the French Quarter.
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.