New Orleans attack latest: Terror suspect used bomb materials never seen in US as police probe how he got them
Police are investigating the materials used in the devices near the Bourbon Street attack
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Your support makes all the difference.The terror suspect in the New Orleans rampage that killed 14 people and injured dozens reportedly used materials to make explosives that have never been used in a U.S. attack.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, used an extremely rare explosive compound that had never been seen before in any incidents in the U.S. or Europe, NBC News reported.
Jabbar planned to detonate two explosives that he had placed on Bourbon Street, FBI and ATF officials said in a joint statement Friday. He intended to use a transmitter, which was found in his vehicle, to ignite the bombs but ultimately did not.
It’s not immediately clear how or where he learned to make such an explosive. It’s yet another question for the FBI, which is also reportedly looking into Jabbar’s travel, including a trip to Egypt.
The federal agency is also trying to determine whether he became radicalized during his trip, ABC News reported.
Authorities recovered an ISIS flag from inside his vehicle.
“This next most important phase of the investigation is to find out how that radicalization happened and if it happened on that trip,” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told the network.
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New Orleans attacker planned to use detonator found in truck
New Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who rammed a truck through a crowd celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street, had another part to his plan which was never completed.
The Texas man intended to use a transmitter, later found in the wreckage of his vehicle, to trigger two improvised explosive devices nearby, investigators announced.
The devices never went off, though authorities are uncertain whether this was due to a decision from Jabbar, a malfunction, or some other reason.
Vet argues recent incidents highlight need for mental health services in military
The recent incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas, both carried out by U.S. military veterans, highlight the need to give serious attention to the mental health status of servicemembers, according to one veteran.
“A major question that should be asked not just about Jabbar but every veteran who is at risk of radicalization, suicide, homelessness or social isolation is if we should now make it a requirement for veterans to be seen and screened,” Jos Joseph, a Marine veteran, wrote today in The Hill.
Army buddy shocked old friend carried out New Orleans attack
Trevor Neill, a Houston-area Army veteran who knew Shamsud-Din Jabbar in the military, was utterly shocked to learn his old friend had carried out the New Orleans truck attack.
The two men met at Fort Gordon in Georgia but had lost touch in recent years.
“He was a normal individual, no red flags, great soldier, phenomenal friend,” Neill told KHOU 11.
“I was absolutely floored, I buckled and I couldn’t talk for like 20 or 30 seconds, was just like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” he added. “And it’s very unfortunate that he took that path.”
PHOTOS: New Orleans mourns victims of truck attack
Congresswoman seeks info from Fort Bragg whistleblowers on New Orleans attacker
Congresswoman and Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna is seeking information from potential whistleblowers who served in the military with the men behind the New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents.
Both men served at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, though officials have said there’s no immediate evidence the two crossed paths there.
Troubling data suggests link between military service and likelihood of extremism
The men who carried out both the New Orleans truck attack and the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas both had military backgrounds.
Data suggests a troubling correlation between military service and extremism.
Between since 2011, the number of people with U.S. military backgrounds who committed extremist crimes multiplied nearly seven times, compared with the annual rate between 1990 and 2010, The Intercept reports.
A separate study cited by outlet notes that military service is the single strongest predictor of people who seek to be “mass casualty offenders,” well higher than more commonly discussed factors like mental health.
Potential threats and dismay over Middle East: Family gives details on Jabbar
Family members and associates are shedding new light on New Orleans truck attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
An ex-wife, as part of Jabbar’s third divorce, asked a court to order the Texas man not to make threatening calls or harm her or their son.
A previous ex-wife, meanwhile, moved to limited Jabbar’s contact with their children due to unpredictable behavior.
Jabbar’s half brother, Abdur Jabbar, told The New York Times his brother had also grown dismayed in recent months by the Israel-Hamas war.
“He didn’t like it — he said it was genocide on both sides, inhumane,” he said. “It was senseless.”
The next question for New Orleans investigation: When Jabbar was radicalized
Now that investigators understand many of the basic facts of the New Orleans truck attack, they are trying to understand when attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar became radicalized and began to seek violence.
Of particular interest is a 2023 trip where Jabbar, who later claimed allegiance to the terror group ISIS, traveled to Egypt for about a month.
“This next most important phase of the investigation is to find out how that radicalization happened and if it happened on that trip,” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told ABC News.
Brother of New Orleans attack speaks out
The family of New Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar says they don’t understand why the Texas man was driven to violence.
“I understand people want answers, but we’re just as puzzled as the rest of the world,” his half brother, Abdur Rahem Jabbar, told Click2Houston.
“Sham believed his Islamic faith taught him that partying in places like New Orleans wasn’t righteous,” he added. “But he never gave any red flags leading up to this.”
New Orleans attacker used ‘very rare’ compound in explosives
New Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar used a “very rare” chemical compound in explosive devices he placed near the site of his truck massacre, according to officials.
The chemical has never been used in a U.S. attack before, a law enforcement source told NBC News.
Officials are investigating where Jabbar gained the knowledge to use such a compound.
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