Rabat – The FBI has announced that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who killed 14 people and injured dozens more in the New Orleans New Year’s Day attack, is now thought to have acted alone.
Officials believed at first Jabbar had accomplices. But after hundreds of interviews and checking his online messages, they say no one else was involved.
“We do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved,” said FBI official Christopher Raia.
Jabbar, a US Army veteran, drove a rented truck into crowds on Bourbon Street at 3 a.m. local time. He then got out armed with a silenced rifle, a handgun, and body armor and opened fire before police shot him dead.
Before the attack, he posted videos online pledging allegiance to ISIS. In the videos, he spoke of a “war between the believers and disbelievers.”
Police found an ISIS flag in his rented pickup truck, and two live bombs that he placed in the French Quarter. Both were made safe by the police. Surveillance footage showed Jabbar placing the devices before the attack.
According to reports, Jabbar’s brother said the attacker had converted to Islam and struggled after a recent divorce. His niece said financial stress and personal issues drove him to the edge.
President Biden called the attack a “terrible act of violence” and promised to help local officials with the investigation. He shared his condolences with the victims and their families, and said that “America won’t be scared by acts of terror.” He also promised to bring justice for those affected.
New Orleans remains in shock as the investigation continues.
