By Steve Neavling
The FBI is investigating recent trips to Egypt and Canada taken by the suspect in the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, which left 14 people dead and many others injured when a truck plowed into a crowd of revelers.
The suspect, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran named Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and was killed in a shootout with police following the attack. The FBI has classified the incident as an act of terrorism.
At a press briefing on Sunday, Lyonel Myrthil, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, confirmed that Jabbar traveled to Cairo, Egypt, from June 22 to July 3, 2023, and later flew to Ontario, Canada, on July 10 before returning to the United States on July 13, Reuters reports.
“Our agents are getting answers as to where he went, who he met with and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions in our city in New Orleans,” Myrthil said.
The FBI also revealed that Jabbar made two trips to New Orleans in the months leading up to the attack, visiting in October and November. During these visits, he stayed in a rented home and filmed videos using Meta smart glasses in the French Quarter, including Bourbon Street, the site of the deadly rampage.
The New Orleans coroner’s office has identified the 14 people who lost their lives in the attack. The victims ranged in age from 18 to 63, with most of them in their 20s.
As investigations continue, authorities are piecing together how Jabbar’s movements and affiliations might have influenced his actions on that tragic day.
