If you have any information regarding the attack or the individual known as Jabbar, or if you were present on Bourbon Street during New Year’s celebrations, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also submit tips, including photos and videos, online.
Key Points:
– Jabbar rented a Ford F-150 EV in Houston using the Turo app. This app was also linked to a separate EV explosion in Las Vegas involving a Tesla Cybertruck at the Trump Hotel.
– Both Jabbar and another individual involved in the Las Vegas incident, Matthew Livelsberger, served in the Army and were deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. There is no confirmed connection between the two attacks at this time.
– Jabbar drove from Houston to New Orleans, posting videos on Facebook about his intentions along the way.
– Before the attack on Bourbon Street, Jabbar planted at least two IEDs in the area.
– The attack resulted in at least 14 deaths and multiple injuries. Jabbar died in a shootout with police following the incident.
– Investigators found an Islamic State group flag in Jabbar’s truck, as well as planted IEDs that were safely disarmed.
– The FBI is leading the investigation and is seeking information from anyone present in the area around the time of the attack.
“We are seeking anyone who was present in the French Quarter on New Year’s Eve or early on New Year’s Day,” stated Raia. “This includes individuals who were observed near one of the two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) positioned on Bourbon Street. The IED was concealed inside a cooler, and it is possible that individuals may have paused to inspect the cooler before moving on.”
Law enforcement officials are maintaining a blockade on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana as of Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024. Following a horrifying incident on Wednesday where a man drove into a crowd of New Year’s revelers, resulting in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries.
Raia clarified that those being questioned are not viewed as suspects in connection with the incident. A property possibly linked to the assailant, listed on Airbnb, was engulfed in flames around 5:30 a.m., as reported by New Orleans’ Fox 8. Subsequent investigations uncovered bombmaking materials within the premises. Raia confirmed that the FBI is conducting a search at a residence with a Mandeville address for potential evidence related to the case.
“Our current hypothesis is that the fire occurred subsequent to Jabar’s demise,” remarked ATF Special Agent Joshua Jackson during a subsequent media briefing. Investigators are actively exploring the root cause of the fire.
Sugar Bowl Postponed in Aftermath of Suspected Terror Attack on Bourbon Street
Authorities are progressively divulging more information about the perpetrator and executing searches at properties in Houston and New Orleans.
In a briefing with lawmakers, the FBI disclosed that they possessed no prior intelligence on Jabbar before the assault. “The FBI communicated during the briefing that they possessed no prior knowledge of Jabbar – he was not under their surveillance,” relayed Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee who participated in the session, to Fox News. “He was not a subject of interest for them. This lack of intelligence is deeply concerning as it raises the specter of potential dormant threat cells within our nation.”
Aerial Survey of Suspect’s Houston, Texas Residence in the Aftermath of the New Orleans Attack
Leading up to the incident, Jabbar served in the U.S. Army, holding roles as a human resource specialist and IT specialist from March 2007 to 2015, followed by continued service in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist until July 2020. Subsequently, he was employed by Deloitte, a prominent international accounting firm.
