The FBI is investigating past trips to Egypt and Canada by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in a New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people and injured dozens.
Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, rammed a truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street. He was killed in a shootout with police after what the FBI has labeled an act of terrorism.
Lyonel Myrthil, the FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans field office, revealed that Jabbar traveled to Cairo, Egypt, from June 22 to July 3, 2023, and to Ontario, Canada, from July 10 to July 13, 2023. “Our agents are investigating where he went, who he met with, and whether those trips connect to his actions in New Orleans,” Myrthil said.
Jabbar had visited New Orleans twice in the months before the attack, staying in a rental home in October and November. During these visits, he recorded videos in the French Quarter, the neighborhood where the attack occurred.
The victims of the attack ranged in age from 18 to 63, with most in their 20s. The New Orleans coroner’s office has identified all 14 deceased.
The FBI confirmed Jabbar acted alone in the attack, but the agency is examining his movements and interactions leading up to the tragedy.
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