US police have revealed new information about the perilous attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter that murdered 14 people and hurt around 30. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old former US Army soldier, had reportedly planned the attack for weeks.
Detectives reported that he arranged a rental truck on November 14. And a few hours before the incident, he also procured a cooler in Vidor, Texas, and gun oil in Sulphur, Louisiana.
The incident happened on Jan 1 on Bourbon Street, a popular area known for its nightlife. Jabbar drove the rented truck into a crowded area, later involved in a gunfight with police before being shot. The local police reported that he was wearing a ballistic vest and helmet at the time of the incident.
The FBI revealed that bomb-making materials were recovered in the New Orleans home Jabbar had booked prior to the attack. They also discovered a transmitter in the rental truck, aimed to detonate crude explosive devices positioned in the neighborhood.
Two bombs left in coolers several blocks apart were determined safe, while other devices were found to be nonfunctional. Jabbar had also tried to burn down the rented home using accelerants, but the fire extinguished itself before firefighters arrived.
New Orleans police admitted two officers were badly hurt in the shootout. The number of shots fired by both Jabbar and the police remains under scrutiny. The city’s Office of the Independent Police Monitor is active to trace “every single bullet” to confirm if any struck bystanders.
Bourbon Street reopened to the public on Thursday, but the atmosphere was distressed.
Among the dead were an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, and a former Princeton University football player. The New Orleans coroner’s office has identified 13 of the 14 victims, aged 18 to 63, including Edward Pettifer, a British citizen and stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, former nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry.
US President Joe Biden is anticipated to visit New Orleans on January 6 to meet with victims’ families and community members. The city has put in extra security measures ahead of the big events like Carnival parades and the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for February 9.
New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno has advocated for a legislative committee to examine the incident and improve local security policies.
Federal Police have concluded that Jabbar acted alone. The attack marks one of the deadliest assaults inspired by the Islamic State in the US in recent years, pointing out ongoing tensions about international terrorism.
