FBI rules out involvement of four suspects seen planting bombs near New Orleans truck attack

The incident site (Picture credit: AP)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has ruled out the involvement of four individuals initially suspected of assisting Shamsud-Din Jabbarin in the New Orleans truck attack on New Year’s Day that killed at least 15 people and injured dozens. Surveillance footage had shown three men and one woman near the attack site planting explosives at multiple locations, prompting a nationwide alert. However, investigators have now excluded their connection to the attack, according to a New York Post report.
The report also said that at least three IEDs, which were pipe bombs with remote detonators, were discovered at or near the scene. Investigators continue to examine potential links to international terror groups.
Despite clearing these individuals, authorities still believe Jabbar may not have acted alone. Federal authorities suggested that Jabbar, 42, was not “solely responsible” for the attack. “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates,” FBI assistant special agent in charge Alethea Duncan told reporters, adding that investigators were looking into a “range of suspects.” Louisiana governor Jeff Landry also mentioned that authorities were “hunting down bad people.”
The FBI investigation is ongoing.
The incident
The incident occurred at approximately 3:15 am local time in New Orleans’ French Quarter during New Year’s celebrations. Jabbar drove a truck through barricades and into a crowd at Bourbon and Canal streets. He was killed in a subsequent gunfight with police, leaving two officers injured but expected to recover. The attack resulted in at least 15 deaths and 30 injuries.

Jabbar’s link to Isis
Inside Jabbar’s white Ford F-150 electric pickup truck, authorities discovered an ISIS flag, weapons, and a potential Improvised Explosive Device (IED). More potential IEDs were found nearby, and FBI bomb technicians are working to determine if the devices were functional.
Authorities also found three homemade pipe bombs, two of which were neutralized on-site. Jabbar drove the truck at “very high speed” and in a “very intentional” manner, according to police. Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick described the attack as deliberate and referred to Jabbar as a “terrorist.”

Jabbar’s background
Jabbar, a Texas native and Army veteran who served from 2007 to 2020, including a deployment to Afghanistan, was an IT specialist and real estate agent. The FBI confirmed his US citizenship and is investigating potential ties to terrorist organizations.