The driver of the deadly terrorist New Year’s attack in New Orleans set fire to his rental property in an attempt to destroy bomb-making evidence before the attack, according to the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the agencies revealed that they believe 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar started a small fire in the hallway of his rented Airbnb before the attack and “strategically placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it and other evidence of his crime.” However, they stated that the fire burned itself out before spreading to other rooms.
The smoldering fire allowed the FBI to recover evidence from the rented Airbnb, including “precursors for bomb-making material and a privately made device suspected of being a rifle silencer,” according to the agencies’ statements.
The FBI and ATF also revealed new details about Jabbar’s movements before driving a high-speed vehicle down Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Jabbar had also placed two improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, on Bourbon Street, according to authorities. He failed to detonate the two explosives before his death.
“The FBI assesses that during his attack on Bourbon Street, Jabbar intended to use a transmitter, that was found in the F150 truck, to detonate the two IED’s he placed on Bourbon Street,” according to the organizations.
The latest update from the agencies stated that all evidence recovery along Bourbon Street and at Jabbar’s Airbnb rental on Mandeville Street has been completed.
“Evidence collected from multiple sites is being evaluated to further the investigation,” according to the agencies.