Photo: FBI
New video footage captured from Shamsud-Din Jabbar's perspective prior to the deadly attack in New Orleans has been released by the FBI.
Jabbar, 42, a Texas native and U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, recorded videos of himself looking in a mirror and riding a bike through the French Quarter on his Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which he was also wearing when he plowed a truck through a crowd, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more, during the early morning hours of New Year's Day. The FBI also reported that more people could have been killed by IEDs Jabbar planted around the city had he reached the remote detonator before being killed in a shootout with police.
“We believe that the transmitter would have functioned, and would have worked, but for New Orleans PD putting him down before he could get access to that transmitter and set off the devices,” said Joshua Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the New Orleans Field Division, via the New York Post.
Investigators are still working to determine how Jabbar made bombs from a "very rare explosive compound" never previously used in an attack targeting the U.S. or Europe, NBC News reported. Jabbar reportedly pledged his allegiances to the terrorist group ISIS and planned to kill his family prior to the incident, multiple officials briefed on the investigation confirmed to CNN.
The terrorist referenced his divorce and plans to gather his family for a "celebration" with the intention to murder them, but said he changed his plans and joined ISIS in video recordings suspected to be made while driving to Louisiana to commit the attack in footage previously obtained by the FBI. The recordings appear to have been made at night, however, the exact timing is unclear, according to officials.
Jabbar was found to have possible improvised explosive devices and an ISIS flag attached to his truck at the time of the incident, according to local and federal authorities. President Joe Biden said that the FBI notified him that Jabbar "posted videos on social media indicating that he's inspired by ISIS" and expressed "a desire to kill" a "mere hours before the attack" via ABC News. Two officers were reportedly shot during the incident but listed to be in stable condition.