FBI says New Orleans truck attacker acted alone, changed clothes to confuse police

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Federal authorities confirmed Thursday that the man behind the New Year's Day truck attack on New Orleans' Bourbon Street was 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who acted alone. Surveillance video showed Jabbar changing clothes after planting the explosive device in an attempt to mislead investigators into believing there were multiple attackers. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's rampage left 14 people dead and 35 injured. He drove a rental truck through crowds of people along three blocks of Bourbon Street before getting out and shooting at police. The police returned fire and killed him on the spot. Law enforcement also discovered two improvised explosive devices in the cooler, which were safely defused. FBI spokesman Christopher Raia called the attack a premeditated act of terrorism, citing Jabbar's online posts declaring allegiance to the Islamic State and detailing his motives. Videos on his social media show he initially planned to target family and friends but chose to go public with his attacks to gain more attention. An ISIS flag was found on the truck. While investigators are still analyzing whether Jabbar's electronic devices contained any communications with others, they have found no evidence of complicity. More than 400 tips have been filed, and the FBI is urging anyone who knows Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or has seen him in New Orleans or Texas to come forward. Bourbon Street has since reopened, with Mayor LaToya Cantrell assuring the public it's safe as the city prepares for large events like the Sugar Bowl. Like this: Like Loading… Discover more from Baller AlertSubscribe to get the latest posts delivered to your email.

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