Jabbar Kills 14 in New Orleans Attack; Used Meta Glasses, Rare Explosives, FBI Says

Jan 6, 2025, 12:10 PM

On January 1, 2025, a man named Shamsud-Din Jabbar rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people and injuring dozens. Law enforcement officials revealed that Jabbar had suspected bomb-making materials at his home and had reserved the vehicle used in the attack more than six weeks prior. The FBI reported that he had used Meta smart glasses to record reconnaissance footage of the French Quarter during previous visits in October and November 2024. Jabbar had visited New Orleans at least twice before the attack. Two improvised explosive devices containing a rare explosive compound never before seen in the US or Europe were found in his vehicle but failed to detonate due to the use of the wrong device. Authorities believe he attempted a triple attack. Jabbar's Meta glasses were not recording during the attack. Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Houston, had traveled to Cairo, Egypt, and Ontario, Canada, in 2023, and investigators are examining whether these trips were connected to his radicalization.