Man behind New Orleans car rampage planned for wider carnage, authorities say

New Orleans, Louisiana: The man behind the New Orleans terrorist attack planned to cause more carnage by using a transmitter to detonate explosives he placed on Bourbon Street, and had extra bomb-making material at a nearby Airbnb he set on fire to conceal evidence.

As US President Joe Biden prepares to visit the site of the tragedy on Monday, federal authorities have shed new light on Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s movements before he rammed his truck at high speed through a New Year’s crowd this week, killing 14 people and injuring about 35 others.

A man adjusts candles and flowers at a memorial to the victims of the deadly truck attack in New Orleans.Credit: AP

According to an update from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Jabbar rented a short-term property about 10 minutes from Bourbon Street where he stored bomb-making devices, along with a separate homemade device suspected of being a silencer for a rifle.

However, in a bid to hide the evidence, the 42-year-old former US army veteran had strategically placed accelerants throughout the Airbnb and had tried to set it on fire. The plan was foiled when the fire died before it could spread sufficiently.

In another chilling finding, the FBI investigation also revealed that Jabbar – who authorities say was inspired by the Islamic State terrorist group – had set out to kill even more people.

“Jabbar intended to use a transmitter, which was found in the F150 truck, to detonate the two IEDs [improvised explosive devices] he placed on Bourbon Street,” the agency said in its latest update.

New Orleans police and federal agents investigate the New Year’s Day truck attack.Credit: AP

“The transmitter, along with two firearms connected to Jabbar, is being transported to the FBI Laboratory for additional testing, as well as clothing and shell casings from the truck.”

The details came as New Orleans continues to mourn the dead, with many people visiting Bourbon Street to pay their respects to the victims at an ever-expanding memorial set up near the corner of Canal Street – the same corner where Jabbar veered around a police vehicle that was meant to block cars from getting onto the party strip that night.

What started as 14 yellow roses placed against a wall yesterday had grown into a tribute filled with candles, flowers, cards and colourful Mardi Gras beads, with notes and the names of victims written across the wall and on the road.

A man writes the names of victims on a wall.Credit: AP

Among the visitors this afternoon were Jennifer and Maurice Debrosse, a local couple who spend every wedding anniversary at the Hyatt Centric hotel overlooking Bourbon Street.

“We love New Orleans. There’s no reason for this type of violence here,” Maurice told this masthead as he wiped away tears.

“We moved here from Boston, and we were right there at the Boston Marathon bombing,” Jennifer added, overcome with emotion.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think something bad like that could happen here,” she said. “There’s too much love and joy and solidarity in this city. I never thought it could happen.”

Bourbon Street is a historic tourist destination in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, known for attracting large crowds with its music, restaurants, clubs and “alcohol to-go” policy that allows visitors to buy drinks from bars and roam the streets carrying them.

But the revelry was shattered about 3.15am on Wednesday, when Jabbar drove his rental truck into the crowd at high speeds, veering onto pavements and running over people before crashing. He then opened fire on police but was shot dead.

As federal authorities continue to investigate, the White House announced that the president and first lady Jill Biden would head to New Orleans on Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack on January 1 and meet with officials on the ground”.

The city’s coroner has also now released the identities of all but two of the 14 victims killed. They were aged 18 to 63 and almost half were from the New Orleans metropolitan area or other communities around Louisiana. Others were from Alabama, Mississippi and New Jersey.

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