(New Orleans) The man who drove his pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers in New Orleans had suspect bomb-making materials at home and had reserved the vehicle used in the deadly attack more six weeks ago, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press (AP) on Friday.
Federal authorities who searched Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s Houston home found a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices, according to law enforcement officials with knowledge of the search. . The officials were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on 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 Sulfur, Louisiana, officials said. Authorities also determined that Jabbar booked his van rental on November 14, suggesting he may have been planning the attack for more than six weeks.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE FBI
Shamsud-Din Jabbar
According to authorities, 14 people were killed and around 30 injured in the attack carried out early Wednesday by Jabbar, a former army soldier who had posted several videos on his Facebook hours before the attack, announcing the violence that he was going to trigger and proclaim his support for the Islamic State militant group.
The coroner’s office said the cause of death for all 14 victims was “blunt force injuries.” Jabbar, 42, was fatally shot during a shootout with police at the scene of the fatal crash on Bourbon Street, famous around the world for its party atmosphere in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.
Authorities found pipe 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 away were secured at the scene, authorities said. Other devices were found to be non-functional.
Investigators recovered a transmitter from Jabbar’s rental truck intended to set off the two bombs, the FBI said in a statement Friday. Authorities also discovered bomb-making materials in Jabbar’s rented house in New Orleans before the attack. Jabbar attempted to burn the house down by starting a small fire in a hallway and placing accelerants to help spread it, the FBI said. The flames were extinguished before firefighters arrived.
Authorities were still investigating Jabbar’s motives and how he carried out the attack Friday. They say he got out of the wrecked truck wearing body armor and a helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before being fatally shot by officers who returned 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 ongoing investigation.
Stella Cziment, who heads the civilian-run Office of the Independent Police Monitor, said investigators were working to account for “every bullet that was fired” and whether any hit passers-by.
“New Orleans is all about having a good time”
Bourbon Street was solemn Friday. A day after the crime scene reopened to the public, locals and tourists stopped to pay their respects to the victims of the attack, while the sound of drums made from buckets rang out.
People shed tears as they gathered at a growing memorial. Some left flowers and candles, while others knelt to say a quick prayer.
“New Orleans is about having a good time, you know, trying to live your best life,” said Tony Lightfoot, who works in Baton Rouge and was visiting New Orleans with his son. He said the attacker “just decided to disrupt this.”
PHOTO GERALD HERBERT, ASSOCIATED PRESS
People shed tears as they gathered at a growing memorial. Some left flowers and candles, while others knelt to say a quick prayer.
Thirteen people are still hospitalized. Eight people are in intensive care at University Medical Center in New Orleans, spokeswoman Carolina Giepert said.
The White House said President Joe Biden would visit New Orleans next week. The president and first lady planned to travel there Monday to “grieve with the families and community members affected by the tragic attack.”
On Friday, police used several vehicles and barricades to block traffic on Bourbon and Canal streets as crowds of pedestrians swelled. Other law enforcement agencies helped city officers provide additional security, said Reese Harper, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans Police Department.
The first parade of the carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras was scheduled to take place Monday. New Orleans will also host the Super Bowl on February 9.
“This enhanced security effort will continue every day, not just during large events,” Reese Harper said in a statement.
In a previous effort to protect the French Quarter, the city installed steel columns called bollards to restrict vehicle access to Bourbon Street. The poles retracted to allow deliveries to bars and restaurants, until – clogged with Mardi Gras beads, beer and other detritus – they stopped working reliably.
So when New Year’s Eve came, the terminals were gone. They were replaced before the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, New Orleans City Council Speaker Helena Moreno has taken steps to launch an investigation into the attack. In a memo to another board member obtained by AP, Mr.me Moreno said she was initiating the creation of a local and state legislative committee “dedicated to examining the incident and its implications.”
“This committee will play a crucial role in evaluating our current policies, improving security measures, and ensuring that we are adequately prepared to respond to any future threats,” Helena Moreno wrote.
The FBI concluded that Jabbar was not helped by anyone else in the attack, which killed an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former football star. Princeton University, among others.
Thirteen of the 14 victims were identified by the New Orleans coroner’s office, with the youngest listed as 18 and the oldest 63. Most of the victims were in their twenties. One of the victims, whose identity was not released by the coroner’s office at the family’s request, was a British citizen.
It was the deadliest ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in years, revealing what federal officials have been warning about a resurgent international terrorism threat.
