
The details surrounding the horrific New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street, which resulted in the death of 14 individuals and left 57 injured, continue to unfold as the FBI shares more information on the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar. According to the WWNO report, the number of identified victims has reached 136, which includes those physically harmed, witnesses present during the incident, and two businesses that suffered property damage.
Further investigation has revealed that Jabbar had reportedly become more devoted to his Muslim faith in 2022, before to begin distancing himself from his community in the spring of 2024, when he started to adopt extremist ideologies. The new photo released by the FBI documents his presence in New Orleans on November 10, 2024, and his movements were traced back to a train ride from Houston to New Orleans, as detailed in the WWLTV coverage. He even applied to rent an apartment in the French Quarter before ultimately retracting his application and leaving the city.
An examination of Jabbar's electronic devices has brought alarming insights to light. Notably, Jabbar's internet search history included information about Mardi Gras, ways to access balconies on Bourbon Street, and previous shooting incidents in New Orleans. The FBI reported that, just hours before carrying out the attack, he sought details about a similar vehicle-ramming incident at a Christmas market in Germany. This new evidence could suggest a premeditated method to his madness linked to previous instances of violence.
The investigation has also been delving into Jabbar's association with ISIS, as indicated by the FBI's discovery of a black ISIS flag attached to the truck he used in the attack. His radicalization seems to have peaked in the spring of 2024 when he evidently started to support and pledge allegiance to the terrorist group. This was corroborated by several videos in which Jabbar pledged his support for ISIS, further detailed by WDSU's report. The agency is also reviewing an extensive compilation of photos and videos submitted by the public that could shed further light on the case.
The FBI’s investigation continues as they unravel the complexities behind Jabbar’s actions, movements, and motivations, leaving a community to mourn and grapple with the aftermath of a New Year's Day marred by tragedy. With each new disclosure, a fuller picture of the path that led to this act of terror emerges, as does the breadth of its impact on the victims and the city of New Orleans.