FBI: New Orleans Terrorist Did Not Act Alone

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UPDATE: Law enforcement says four individuals caught on video allegedly planting bombs have been cleared and were not involved:

CNN: “Law enforcement now has determined that those people had nothing to do with this incident. At this point, it appears that those people seen on surveillance video did not have anything to do with placing devices in the French Quarter.”pic.twitter.com/WOgsOOcuLB https://t.co/iYr1z5h0RJ

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 1, 2025

This post has been updated.

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Leah had the story earlier this morning: Texas native Shamsud Din-Jabbar, 42, drove his truck into a crowd in New Orleans during the New Year’s Day festivities and then began to open fire on innocent bystanders. Fifteen people are dead, with at least another 30 injured. His vehicle had an ISIS flag. The truck was rented by Turo and crossed the border from Mexico on November 16. It had been driven by someone else. The attack occurred at 3:15 AM local time. Explosives were found at the scene, with officials now saying that there’s evidence Mr. Din-Jabbar did not act alone, pointing to a coordinated terrorist attack.

Regarding IEDs, the French Quarter has been swept and cleared. There was potential for this attack to be deadlier. IEDs were also discovered in the truck driven by Jabbar (via Associated Press):

At 6 am in New Orleans officers found an explosive device near the Cathedral in the French Quarter. They discovered two devices and safety detonated both. Thank God. pic.twitter.com/aG7HTCmNgD

— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) January 1, 2025

BREAKING: Investigators have seen video footage showing 3 men & a woman planting explosives as part of the investigation into the New Orleans attack, document shows – AP

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 1, 2025

The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and said it does not believe the driver acted alone. An Islamic State group flag was found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch, the FBI said.

Guns and pipe bombs were also found in the vehicle, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. The devices, which were concealed within coolers, were wired for remote detonation, the bulletin said, and a corresponding remote control was discovered inside the vehicle.

The FBI said other potential explosive devices were also located in the French Quarter. According to the intelligence bulletin, surveillance footage captured three men and a woman placing one of multiple improvised explosive devices.

[…]

The FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran from Texas and said it is working to determine Jabbar’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.

“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said at a news conference.