The ringleader of the New Orleans attack had visited the city at least twice in the months before the attack, FBI Special Agent in Charge Lionel Martil said in an update Sunday.
Shamsud Din Jabbar, identified by police as the man shot and killed after the deadly attack on Bourbon Street on New Year's Day, visited New Orleans in late October and November.
During the first trip, Jabbar stayed in a rented home for at least two days starting Oct. 30, Marcil said. While in New Orleans, Jabbar used Meta glasses to videotape himself riding his bike through his French Quarter neighborhood.
The FBI released a video of Jabbar traveling while wearing his glasses and encouraged the public to contact him if they saw or came into contact with Jabbar while traveling.
“Metaglass looks like regular glasses, but allows users to record photos and videos hands-free. It also has the potential to allow users to live stream their videos,” Mircil said at a press conference. Mr. Jabbar was wearing glasses during the attack, but added that he did not livestream footage of the day.
Marcil said the second trip to New Orleans took place on Nov. 10, but FBI officials are “still finalizing the details of that trip.”
Mr. Jabbar also traveled to Cairo, Egypt from June 22 to July 3, 2023, flew to Ontario, Canada a few days later on July 10, and returned to the United States on July 13.
“Our agents are working hard to get answers about where he went, who he met with, and how those trips may or may not connect to his actions here in New Orleans. “We are here,” Martil said at a press conference.
Authorities still maintain that Mr. Jabbar, an American citizen from Houston, acted alone when he killed 14 people in the early morning hours of New Year's Day.
“All investigative details and evidence continue to support that Jabbar acted alone in New Orleans. There are no indications of accomplices within the United States, but there are potential We continue to investigate possible accomplices,” said Christopher Reier, assistant director of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division.
“In any complex terrorism investigation, as we discover new leads, receive information from the public, examine electronic devices, and interview witnesses, the information we know develops into a clearer picture. “And we'll get more answers,” he continued. “We're much more advanced than we were just two days ago, and we're still working to figure out exactly who Jabbar is.”
