The FBI says the man responsible for New Year's truck attack visited New Orleans twice before

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with hands-free glasses, an FBI official said Sunday.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar also traveled to Cairo, Egypt, as well as Ontario, Canada, before the attack, although it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a press conference. Federal officials believe Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and former U.S. Army soldier, was inspired by the the Islamic State militant group to carry out the deadly attack.

Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during a firefight at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.

Federal investigators so far believe Jabbar acted alone in carrying out the attack, but are continuing to explore his contacts.

“All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” said Raia. “We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders."

Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, said the suspect in the attack traveled to Cairo in the summer of 2023 and then to Canada a few days later.

“Our agents are getting answers to where he went, who he met with and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here,” Myrthil said.

Jabbar had also traveled to New Orleans twice in the months ahead of the attack, first in October and again in November. On Oct. 31, Myrthil said Jabbar used “meta glasses” to record video as he rode through the French Quarter on a bicycle as "he plotted this hideous attack." He said Jabbar was also in New Orleans on Nov. 10 and they are trying to find out more detail about that trip.

He also wore the glasses during the attack. The glasses are capable of livestreaming, but Myrthil said Jabbar did not activate the glasses to livestream the attack.

The FBI released Jabbar's recorded video from the planning trip to New Orleans as well as video showing him placing two containers with explosive devices in the French Quarter at around 2 a.m. shortly before the attack. One of the containers, a cooler, was moved a block away by someone uninvolved with the attack, officials said.

Joshua Jackson, New Orleans special agent in charge, said Jabbar privately purchased a semiautomatic rifle from an individual in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 19

“This was a chance encounter,” Jackson said. “There’s no way this individual knew that Jabbar was radicalized or had any sort of awareness that this attack was imminent.”

Security a prime concern ahead of other major events

Police have used multiple vehicles and barricades to block traffic at Bourbon and Canal streets since the attack. Other law enforcement agencies helped city officers provide extra security, said Reese Harper, a New Orleans police spokesperson.

The first parade of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras is scheduled to take place Monday evening. New Orleans also will host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.

In a previous effort to protect the French Quarter, the city installed steel columns known as bollards to restrict vehicle access to Bourbon Street. The posts retracted to allow deliveries to bars and restaurants. They stopped working reliably after being gummed up by Mardi Gras beads, beer and other detritus.

When New Year’s Eve arrived, the bollards were gone. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell acknowledged the city remains uncertain as to whether the new bollards it is installing in the French Quarter would be able to stop a similar vehicle attack from occurring again.

“The thorough assessment that I am asking for will determine whether they are strong enough,” Cantrell said. “I can’t say with surety that’s the case but an expert will be able to do so, and we’ll respond accordingly.”

President Joe Biden planned to travel to New Orleans with first lady Jill Biden on Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”

Suspect proclaims support for Islamic State group

Jabbar proclaimed his support for the Islamic State militant group in online videos posted hours before he struck. 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.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that the country faces “not only the persistent threat of foreign terrorism ... for the past ten years, we’ve seen a significant increase in what we term homegrown violent extremism.”

Authorities had previously said that Jabbar had suspected bomb-making materials at his Houston home, which contained a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices.

Authorities found crude bombs in the neighborhood of the attack in an apparent attempt to cause more carnage. Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were rendered safe at the scene. Other devices were determined to be nonfunctional.

Jabbar purchased a cooler in Vidor, Texas, hours before the attack and gun oil from a store in Sulphur, Louisiana, investigators have said.

Investigators searching Jabbar's rental truck found a transmitter intended to trigger the two bombs, the FBI said in a statement Friday, adding that there were bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home he rented. Jabbar tried to burn down the house by setting a small fire in a hallway with accelerants but the flames burned out before firefighters arrived.

Jabbar 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 police.