FBI agents uncovered a cooler containing sulfuric acid bottles inside a storage unit belonging to the suspect of the New Orleans attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar. This discovery at the SpareBox Storage facility on Walters Road in northwest Harris County is similar to the materials found after the deadly incident in New Orleans, as confirmed by the FBI yesterday. According to a statement obtained by Click2Houston, the units were searched Monday night by the FBI alongside the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The bottles located were commercially available and allegedly bought at a hardware store in Houston. Despite the troubling contents found, authorities have assured the public that there is no immediate threat to safety at this time, based on the FBI's updated statement provided to Click2Houston. The site was cleared around midnight after the court-authorized investigation was conducted.
Renters of the storage facility were surprised by the news. One renter, Earnest Washington, expressed his disbelief in an interview with Click2Houston, saying, "You wouldn’t believe that, you know, so close to home that this could be going on. I feel like who knows what’s in here now." This facility characteristically operates without much staff presence; instead, tenants engage with self-service kiosks, according to Washington’s account.
In a more detailed report of the events leading to the discovery, the FBI outlined the timeline of Jabbar's activity. Jabbar, who had proclaimed support for ISIS on social media, was responsible for the deaths of fourteen people and the injury of many more in the attack on Bourbon Street. As per a report by FOX26 Houston, Jabbar planted improvised explosive devices and used a pickup truck to wreak havoc in the early hours of New Year's Day before being killed in an exchange of gunfire with police officers. The FBI has since confirmed the attack as an act of terrorism.
