New Orleans Attacker Investigated Similar Violent Incidents and Methods to Reach Bourbon Street Balconies

BATON ROUGE, La.—Prior to driving a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s partygoers in New Orleans, resulting in 14 fatalities, the perpetrator inspired by the ISIS terrorist organization had investigated methods to access a balcony on Bourbon Street, as well as details about a similar attack that occurred at a Christmas market in Germany, according to the FBI.

Nearly two weeks post the actions of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the FBI continues to uncover further insights revealing the meticulous preparations made by the 42-year-old Army veteran, who conducted multiple reconnaissance missions in the area months ahead of the incident. Authorities are also assembling a timeline that outlines his path to radicalization.

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, Jabbar was captured on surveillance footage placing two explosive containers, which ultimately did not detonate, in the French Quarter. Shortly thereafter, around 3:15 a.m., he maneuvered his white pickup truck past a police barricade at the entrance of Bourbon Street, where revelers were still enjoying the festivities. He drove through the crowd before colliding with another vehicle and was subsequently killed in a shootout with police. Officials reported that 57 individuals sustained injuries.

Just hours before the tragic incident, Jabbar conducted online research regarding a recent attack at a crowded outdoor Christmas market in eastern Germany that had taken place merely ten days earlier, where a vehicle was also utilized as a weapon, the FBI stated on Tuesday. That European attack resulted in five fatalities and left over 200 people injured after a car barreled into a gathering. A 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor was apprehended in relation to that attack.

In addition to his online inquiries, Jabbar sought information on how to access a balcony on Bourbon Street, looked up Mardi Gras details, and explored several recent shootings in the city, as reported by the FBI.

However, Jabbar’s preparations for the attack extended beyond the internet. He made a one-day visit to New Orleans from Houston on November 10, during which he looked for an apartment, the FBI revealed. Although he applied to lease the apartment, he later informed the landlord of his decision to withdraw.

That wasn’t his only visit to the city. The FBI previously disclosed that Jabbar had traveled to New Orleans on October 31 for planning purposes, utilizing Meta glasses to film his surroundings as he navigated the French Quarter on a bicycle.

In a series of videos uploaded just hours before his attack, Jabbar expressed allegiance to ISIS. This incident marked the most lethal ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in several years. On Tuesday, the FBI continued to outline a timeline of Jabbar’s radicalization, noting that he began distancing himself from society and deepening his Islamic faith in 2022, with extremist beliefs emerging by the spring of 2024.

As investigations into the attack progress and more details surface regarding Jabbar’s planning, city officials are facing critical inquiries regarding public safety.

State and local agencies have initiated investigations into potential security lapses that may have left New Orleans vulnerable. This scrutiny is particularly pressing with the Carnival season, which draws tens of thousands of visitors to the French Quarter, having commenced last week. Additionally, the city is preparing to host the Super Bowl on February 9.