Federal investigators say Shamsud-Din Jabbar used a very rare explosive compound in two IEDs he placed in the area where he later rammed a truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers, killing 14.
The rare compound has never been used in a U.S. terror attack or incident and has never been used in a European attack.
Over the last two days, investigators have searched the Houston-area trailer owned by Jabbar.
The searches of Jabbar’s home have yielded what authorities described as “bomb-making materials” and “precursor chemicals,” they say he used to make the two functional explosive devices.
Investigators tell NBC News’ Tom Winter they’re working now to find out how Jabbar knew about the compound and how he went about making it.
Those two IEDs never went off. The FBI said Friday that Jabbar intended to use a transmitter to detonate them. That transmitter was found inside the F150 truck. The transmitter and two guns connected to Jabbar are being taken to an FBI laboratory for testing, along with some clothing and shell casings from the truck.
MORE INFORMATION: ‘Precursor chemicals’ found in Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s Houston trailer after New Orleans attack
Jabbar had rented an AirBNB before the attack. The FBI confirmed on Friday that he “set a small fire in the hallway and strategically placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it and other evidence of his crime.” After Jabbar left the home, the fire fizzled out before spreading to other rooms. That allowed investigators to recover evidence, including pre-cursors for bomb-making material and what appeared to be a silencer for a rifle that the FBI said was privately made.
The FBI said Friday they’d received almost 1,000 tips.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel from across the country continue to work diligently to further this investigation and evaluate evidence, interview victims and witnesses, and analyze tips related to the New Orleans Bourbon Street attack. Two days into the investigation, the FBI has received almost 1,000 tips, and leads have been sent to FBI field offices across the country for investigation.
As of Thursday, January 2, 2025, all evidence recovery along Bourbon Street and at a short-term rental home on Mandeville Street in New Orleans used by subject Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been completed. At the Mandeville Street location, bomb-making materials—which were rendered safe—and other items were found and collected for further processing. FBI special agents located similar materials at the search of Jabbar’s home on Crescent Peak Drive in Houston, Texas.
On January 1, at 5:18 a.m. CST, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) responded to a fire at the Mandeville Street location after the attack on Bourbon Street. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) has determined that Jabbar was the only person who could have had access to the residence when the fire was set. ATF also determined that Jabbar set a small fire in the hallway and strategically placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it and other evidence of his crime. After Jabbar left the residence, the fire burned to a point that it extinguished itself prior to spreading to other rooms. The ATF investigation revealed that when the NOFD arrived at the scene, the fire was smoldering, allowing for the recovery of evidence, including pre-cursors for bomb-making material and a privately made device suspected of being a silencer for a rifle.
Evidence collected from multiple sites are being evaluated to further the investigation. The FBI assesses that, during his attack on Bourbon Street, Jabbar intended to use a transmitter, which was found in the F150 truck, to detonate the two IEDs he placed on Bourbon Street. The transmitter, along with two firearms connected to Jabbar, is being transported to the FBI Laboratory for additional testing, as well as clothing and shell casings from the truck. FBI personnel are also evaluating terabytes worth of video and other data collected by street cameras monitored by the New Orleans Real Time Crime Center.
The FBI continues to surge resources from across the country to assist the New Orleans Field Office. In addition to FBI special agents and personnel based in Louisiana, more than 200 additional personnel have been brought in to assist in this investigation in order to process evidence, support victims, and investigate leads and tips. Personnel support includes, but is not limited to, special agents, victim specialists, evidence technicians, specially trained crisis management personnel, and intelligence analysts.
FBI victim specialists and special agents continue to interview survivors and witnesses. As of January 3, the FBI has identified 35 known injured individuals. The number of injured is expected to rise in the coming days as additional people either take themselves to hospitals with injuries or ask for assistance from the FBI. Fourteen innocent people were killed in the attack. Courageous New Orleans Police Department officers shot and killed Jabbar after he opened fire on them and the crowd on Bourbon Street.