Additional Coverage:
New Orleans Terror Attack: ISIS Member Arrested in Iraq
An ISIS member has been arrested in Iraq for inciting the deadly New Year’s Day terror attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. The attack, perpetrated by 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas, claimed the lives of 14 civilians and injured 57 others when Jabbar drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers. Jabbar was killed in an ensuing shootout with police.
Iraqi authorities confirmed the arrest, stating the investigation was initiated at the request of American officials. The suspect, whose name has not been released, will face trial in Iraq under anti-terror laws. While the Iraqi judiciary confirmed the suspect’s link to ISIS and his role in inciting the attack, details about the incitement remain undisclosed.
The FBI continues its investigation into the attack and, despite the arrest in Iraq, maintains that Jabbar acted alone in carrying out the attack. However, the FBI has not ruled out the possibility of accomplices.
Jabbar had previously visited New Orleans twice in the months leading up to the attack and had also traveled to Cairo and Toronto. The FBI encourages anyone with information about the attack to contact them.
Federal authorities have stated that Jabbar was inspired by ISIS online. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray previously described such cases as particularly challenging due to rapid online radicalization and the difficulty in detecting warning signs.
Jabbar, a twice-divorced Army veteran with a history of financial difficulties, rented a truck in Houston and drove to New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. He checked into an Airbnb where authorities later discovered bomb-making materials and evidence of a fire, suggesting an attempt to destroy evidence.