The man who drove his pickup truck into people celebrating New Year’s Eve in New Orleans traveled to Egypt and Canada in the summer of 2023, the FBI revealed at a press conference on Sunday.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar was in Cairo from June 22 to July 3, 2023. He then went to Ontario, from July 10 to 13, said Lyonel Myrthil, special agent in charge of the organization’s office in New York. Orleans.
Mr. Myrthil did not specify how this information could explain the motives of the attack, which left 14 dead and around 30 injured early Wednesday. Thirteen people are still in hospital.
“Our agents are trying to find out where he went, with whom, and how these trips could be linked or not to the actions he took here,” he simply said.
Two previous visits to New Orleans
Investigators also said Shamsud-Din Jabbar had previously traveled to New Orleans twice, in October and November 2024. He first arrived on October 30 and stayed at a rented property. According to Mr. Myrthil, a video shows him in the French Quarter, on a bicycle, wearing metal glasses
which allow you to record and broadcast live.
He was back on November 10. We are still gathering details of this trip
said the agent.
No accomplice
Investigators previously said the 42-year-old former US soldier, from Houston, had supported the Islamic State armed group in videos posted online hours before the attack on Bourbon Street.
Open in full screen mode
Christopher Raia and Lyonel Myrthil of the FBI, at a press conference in New Orleans on Sunday
Photo : -
The deputy director of the anti-terrorism division of FBIChristopher Raia, reiterated Sunday that the agency believed Shamsud-Din Jabbar acted alone.
“We have no indication that he had an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking for potential accomplices domestically and abroad,” he said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police did not respond to requests for information from CBC about Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s travels in Canada and did not say whether she was collaborating with the investigation FBI. For their part, the Toronto police did not want to comment.
Open in full screen mode
A period of mourning has been declared in memory of the victims.
Photo : Associated Press / George Walker IV
The New Orleans coroner’s office has identified all of the victims. The youngest was 18 and the oldest was 63. The majority of those who lost their lives were in their 20s.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to travel to New Orleans on Monday to “meet with the families and community members affected by this tragic attack.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has declared a period of mourning for the victims to begin Monday, with a day in memory of each of them.
With information from CBC and Associated Press
