FBI officers mentioned they consider Shamsud-Din Jabbar acted alone in New Orleans in what they described as a terror assault impressed by ISIS.
“Let me be very clear about this point, this was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act,” Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, mentioned Thursday.
“We do not assess at this point … that anyone else is involved in this attack,” he mentioned, including later that the FBI was assured there have been “no accomplices” concerned within the assault.
That’s a departure from FBI warnings yesterday, when the company mentioned Jabbar might not have acted alone. Officers mentioned they’d uncovered vital new developments concerning the assault.
Jabbar barreled down Bourbon Avenue early on New 12 months’s Day in a rented truck, killing a minimum of 14 individuals whereas the suspect was later killed in a shootout with police.
Raia mentioned Jabbar posted a number of movies previous to finishing up the assault, professing help for the phobia group ISIS.
In a single video, he mentioned he initially deliberate to kill household and pals, however Raia mentioned Jabbar feared information protection wouldn’t concentrate on the “war between the believers and the disbelievers” if he didn’t select a broader goal.
Raia mentioned Jabbar additionally claimed to have joined ISIS forward of the summer season, although his hyperlinks to the group stay unclear.
“That path to radicalization — that we’re really going to be digging into and making a priority,” he mentioned, describing Jabbar as “100 percent inspired by ISIS.”
“We’re working with some of our other partners to ascertain … a little bit more about that connection.”
Raia mentioned authorities had recovered three telephones belonging to Jabbar in addition to two laptops that they deliberate to look.
The FBI at this level has not established any connection between Jabbar’s assault and an incident in Las Vegas the place a person ignited a Tesla Cybertruck in entrance of the Trump Resort.
Jabbar, 42, is a U.S. citizen and veteran deployed to Afghanistan who appeared to have had a rocky private life.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who was among the many lawmakers to attend a congressional briefing on the incident, mentioned he was instructed Jabbar was somebody who “displayed all the symptoms of somebody who had very troubled, convoluted personal life.”
“I think he had three different wives, and there were different abuse allegations along the way, so all of that will come out, but it looks like the usual mix of severe personal problems with a growing attachment to a fanatical terrorist ideology,” Raskin mentioned throughout an look on CNN.
Metropolis officers deliberate to reopen Bourbon Avenue forward of Thursday’s Sugar Bowl, whereas Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) referred to as the town “one of the safest places on earth” as a result of elevated police presence.
Raia mentioned the FBI had additionally disabled two pipe bombs that have been left in coolers on Bourbon Avenue, saying earlier details about the potential for extra units was not substantiated.
A few of the FBI’s remarks have been a reversal from statements made on New 12 months’s Day, with Raia and Landry saying the shift was a results of gaining new data.
“We want to be transparent with the public,” Raia mentioned, noting “years of the FBI not being transparent.”
“As we’re being transparent, unfortunately for that, there is some information that we have to go back and re-correct,” he mentioned, including that in 24 hours investigators have labored “hundreds and hundreds of leads.”
Landy additionally defended the bureau and legislation enforcement engaged on the case.
“Information changes … No one does a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and puts it together in five seconds,” he mentioned.
“Because over the last decade, law enforcement has taken it on the chin unfairly … Sometimes the information we put out, we end up finding out that it may be incorrect. But guess what we’re doing? What we’re doing here is something I think is important. It’s called transparency. And something may change again.”
Up to date at 1:10 p.m. EST
