Baton Rouge, Louisiana — In a tragic incident on New Year’s Day, a man inspired by the Islamic State group drove his pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans, resulting in the deaths of 14 people. The assailant, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had conducted thorough research prior to the attack, including methods to access a balcony on Bourbon Street, and studied a recent car assault at a Christmas market in Germany, as reported by the FBI.
Nearly two weeks following Jabbar’s violent act, the FBI has been uncovering details that highlight the extensive preparation carried out by the 42-year-old Army veteran. He meticulously scouted the area multiple times leading up to the attack, allowing investigators to piece together a timeline of his radicalization journey.
In the early hours of January 1, Jabbar was captured on surveillance footage placing two explosive devices in the French Quarter, which fortunately did not detonate. Shortly after 3:15 a.m., he maneuvered a white pickup truck around a police blockade at the entrance of Bourbon Street, where a multitude of festive partygoers had gathered. He drove recklessly through the crowd before ultimately crashing and engaging in a fatal shootout with law enforcement, resulting in injuries to fifty-seven individuals, according to authorities.
Just hours prior to the devastating attack, records show that Jabbar had conducted online searches regarding the aforementioned attack in Germany, which had taken place just ten days earlier. That incident resulted in five fatalities and over two hundred injuries when a vehicle was used to target a gathering at an outdoor market. A suspect was apprehended in that case; he was a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who had disavowed Islam and expressed allegiance to the far-right AfD party.
Besides his online research, Jabbar also made a day trip to New Orleans from Houston on November 10, where he scouted potential apartments. Although he submitted an application for one, he later informed the landlord of his decision to withdraw.
This was not Jabbar’s only visit to the Crescent City. The FBI previously indicated that he traveled to New Orleans on October 31, during which he recorded videos while cycling through the French Quarter, using glasses produced by Meta, the parent organization of Facebook.
In a series of pre-attack online videos, Jabbar openly expressed his allegiance to the Islamic State militant entity. The assault on Bourbon Street marks one of the deadliest attacks inspired by such ideologies on American soil in recent years. The FBI continues to investigate the details surrounding Jabbar’s radicalization process, indicating a trend of increasing isolation and devout religious practice that began in 2022, evolving into extremist beliefs by the spring of 2024.
As investigators persist in uncovering more about Jabbar’s meticulous planning, local and state officials are facing critical questions regarding public safety. Authorities have initiated investigations into potential security lapses that might have left New Orleans unprotected. This inquiry is particularly pressing as the Carnival season, spanning several weeks and drawing in tens of thousands of visitors to the French Quarter, commenced last week. Additionally, the city is preparing to host the Super Bowl on February 9, adding to the urgency of the investigation.
