The driver who killed terrorists in New Orleans set fire to the place he was renting in an attempt to destroy evidence of the bombs before the attack, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) said.
In a joint statement Friday, the agencies said they believe Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, lit a small fire in the hallway of the Airbnb he was renting before the attack, and “placed accelerants throughout the house in an attempt to destroy it and other evidence of his crimes.” But they said the fire burned itself out before it spread to other rooms.
The arson allowed the FBI to recover evidence from the Airbnb rental, including “earlier indications of bomb-making materials and a suspected gun silencer,” the agencies said.
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The FBI and ATF also released new information about Jabbar’s movements before driving the car at a high rate of speed down the famous Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day morning.
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Jabbar also planted two improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, on Bourbon Street, authorities said. He was unable to detonate two explosives before his death.
“The FBI has determined that during the Bourbon Street attack, Jabbar intended to use a communicator, which was found in an F150 truck, to detonate two IEDs he had placed on Bourbon Street,” the agency said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released surveillance footage showing Shamsud-Din Jabbar an hour before he drove the truck down Bourbon Street, New Orleans, in early Jan. 1, 2025. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
In a recent update, agencies said all evidence recovery along Bourbon Street and the Airbnb rentals on Mandeville Street used by Jabbar have been completed.
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“Evidence collected in many places is being evaluated in order to continue the investigation,” said the organizations.
