New Orleans attack: FBI probing links in US and abroad

Federal authorities investigating the devastating New Orleans vehicle attack that killed 14 people on New Year’s Day said that they are looking for potential associates of the suspect in the US and abroad. In a press briefing conducted by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the officials noted that they are working on some of the leads they received from Houston, Atlanta and Tampa, Florida.

They said that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who is the main suspect in the attacks, had visited New Orleans twice in the months before causing a rampage in the city. The authorities mentioned that on one of those trips, Jabbar rode a bicycle up Bourbon Street and was wearing Meta glasses. It has already been revealed that Jabbar was an Islamic State (IS) sympathiser since authorities found an ISIS flag in his pick-up truck which he used to plough down people.

More from United States Of America

From father's advice to pastor's call: How Charlie Kirk's shooter Tyler Robinson was turned in to police Charlie Kirk: Killer still at large, motive uncertain; FBI releases photo with $100,000 reward

“All investigative details and evidence we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans. 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," FBI’s deputy assistant director of counter-terrorism, Christopher Raia said at the briefing on Saturday.

Places Jabbar visited before committing the crime

While addressing the reporters, Raia revealed the itineraries of several trips the 42-year-old made before the New Orleans attack. In 2023, Jabbar travelled to Cairo from 22 June to 3 July. The FBI official said he flew to Canada on July 10 and returned to the United States three days later.

Last year, he made at least two trips to New Orleans – one in October and another in November. On October 30, when the city was in a Halloween mood, Jabbar stayed at a rented home in New Orleans and was in the city for at least two days during that time.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

As Trump weaponises tariff, Fed sees a bigger worry: Not jobs, but rising prices in America

Despite a backdown deal, Trump deploys hundreds more National Guard troops in Washington DC

“Jabbar, using Meta glasses, recorded a video as he rode through the French Quarter on a bicycle,” Raia said. “Videos showed Jabbar during that trip in October with his Meta glasses. As we continue to learn more about that trip, we ask anyone who may have seen or interacted with him to contact us now for more information.”

One video clip released by the FBI showed that Jabbar was riding up Bourbon during the daytime on an unspecified date. In the video, he was just a block away from where he was killed in a gunfight against the authorities on the day of the attack. Raia said Jabbar’s Meta glasses allowed him to take photos and live-stream hands-free – during the night of the attacks. However, he maintained that the glasses were not activated for a live stream.

Any links to the Tesla attack?

Meanwhile, the US Army released information showing that Jabbar and Matthew Livelsberger – a decorated special forces solider who died in an apparent suicide and vehicle bombing at a Trump hotel in Las Vegas - both served in the American military branch which was deployed in Afghanistan for about seven months in 2009.

While Livelsberger was assigned to the 10th Special Forces group at that time, Jabbar was a human resource specialist. Jabbar and Livelsberger also served at the army’s Fort Bragg in North Carolina for about 10 months in 2012, The Guardian reported.

Raia concluded the presser by stating that all available indications were that Jabbar fell into extremism after marital and financial woes. He served in the US Army for more than a decade and earned a Global War on Terrorism service medal.

With inputs from agencies.