Authorities say the suspect in the New Orleans truck attack considered killing his friends and family prior to the attack, but decided against it because he thought it would have less of an impact.
The FBI made the announcement at a press conference on Thursday. They have identified Shamsud-Din Jabbar as the suspect who allegedly drove a truck into a New Orleans crowd before being killed in a shootout with police. Authorities are investigating a potential military connection between Jabbar and the Las Vegas suspect, who law enforcement identified to the Associated Press as Matthew Livelsberger.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill had told Fox News that there is evidence that Jabbar worked alongside accomplices to coordinate the attack. The FBI told Fox News later Thursday that they no longer believe other suspects were involved in the attack, which killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens of others.
Jabbar had posted videos to social media prior to his attack expressing allegiance to the Islamic State. Investigators say Jabbar rented the truck used in the attack on December 30 in Houston and then drove to New Orleans on December 31.
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Photo of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, Bourbon Street terrorist attack suspect. (@FBI via X)
“FBI special agents and our law enforcement partners are currently conducting a number of court-authorized search warrants in New Orleans and other states,” the bureau said in a statement. “The FBI’s Evidence Response Team continues to process the crime scene to meticulously gather all relevant evidence.”
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The FBI initially said it did not believe the driver acted alone, though it has now revised that determination. Investigators found guns inside Jabbar’s as well as two IEDs inside coolers elsewhere in the French Quarter. The FBI says it obtained footage of Jabbar placing the two devices.
Police also recovered two laptops that they believe belong to Jabbar.
The FBI told congressional lawmakers on Thursday that it had zero information about Jabbar prior to his attack. They also said that while Jabbar has said he was “inspired” by ISIS, investigators have not found any evidence that he was directed by ISIS.
New Orleans hospitals treated a total of 37 victims who were injured in Wednesday’s attack. LCMC Health has not stated how many of those injured have since been discharged, nor has it clarified the condition of those still hospitalized.
Jabbar, a U.S. native born in Texas, had previously served in the U.S. military. Authorities are still investigating how and when he became radicalized.
Jabbar served in the Army as a Human Resource Specialist and Information Technology (IT) Specialist from March 2007 until January 2015.
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Following active duty, he served in the Army Reserves as an IT Specialist from January 2015 until July 2020.
During his tenure, he deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.
After leaving the military, Jabbar obtained a job at Deloitte, earning a salary of roughly $120,000 per year. He ran into financial struggles following two divorces, however.
Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill has threatened the death penalty for any accomplices of Shamsud-Din Jabbar. (Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill )
Authorities searched an AirBnB in New Orleans believed to be connected to Jabbar. They also executed a search warrant at his main residence in Houston, Texas.
Relatives of Jabbar said he had been acting erratically in recent months. Dwayne Marsh, the husband of Jabbar’s ex-wife, says they stopped allowing his wife’s shared daughters to spend time with Jabbar, according to the New York Times.
The attack led authorities to postpone the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night. The sporting event is now scheduled to take place on Thursday night, though some officials have called for the event to be delayed further.
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Meanwhile, President-elect Trump called on the CIA to get involved in the investigation, blasting Jabbar as “violent scum” and the current administration as “incompetent and corrupt.”
His statement came after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. It remains unclear whether the bombing, which killed one person who was inside the vehicle, is linked to the New Orleans attack. Authorities are investigating a possible military connection between Jabbar and the suspect in the Vegas case, who police have declined to identify.
The FBI is conducting sweeps of potential residences in Las Vegas as well as Denver, Colorado in relation to the Trump Hotel bombing.
An investigator photographs a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel on Jan. 1, 2025, in Las Vegas. At least one person was killed and seven wounded. (WADE VANDERVORT/AFP via Getty Images)
“Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World! This is what happens when you have OPEN BORDERS, with weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership. The DOJ, FBI, and Democrat state and local prosecutors have not done their job. They are incompetent and corrupt, having spent all of their waking hours unlawfully attacking their political opponent, ME, rather than focusing on protecting Americans from the outside and inside violent SCUM that has infiltrated all aspects of our government, and our Nation itself,” Trump wrote on social media.
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“Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen to our Country. The CIA must get involved, NOW, before it is too late. The USA is breaking down – A violent erosion of Safety, National Security, and Democracy is taking place all across our Nation. Only strength and powerful leadership will stop it. See you on January 20th. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added.
