Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the former chair of the Homeland Security Committee, drew parallels between the recent terror attack in New Orleans and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, McCaul expressed concerns about the security landscape following the New Year’s Day attack in which a man drove a pickup truck down Bourbon Street, resulting in the death of 14 individuals and numerous injuries.
Identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in the New Orleans incident was found in possession of an ISIS flag and explosives. Investigations into Jabbar’s online activities revealed an interest in extremist groups. McCaul characterized the case in New Orleans as a manifestation of online radicalization.
Of particular worry to McCaul was Jabbar’s international travel history and the presence of bomb-making materials not typically found in the United States. Jabbar’s half-brother disclosed to ABC News that the suspect had spent about a month in Egypt in 2023, a detail currently under scrutiny by authorities. McCaul emphasized the potential ISIS connections in the case, urging thorough follow-up investigations.
While acknowledging law enforcement’s diligent efforts to gather more intelligence, McCaul highlighted similarities between the New Orleans attack and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing orchestrated by Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The Tsarnaev brothers planted homemade bombs near the marathon finish line, resulting in casualties and chaos.
“The New Orleans incident is reminiscent of the Boston bomber who traveled to Dagestan, returned, and constructed a pressure cooker bomb that inflicted harm on countless individuals during the marathon,” McCaul remarked. The Boston bombing claimed three lives, with hundreds sustaining injuries. Following a confrontation with law enforcement, one of the brothers perished in a chase, while the other evaded capture until being apprehended after a manhunt.
