A gunman inspired by the Islamic State carried out a deadly attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day, killing 14 people. The attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, had rented a truck and driven it from Houston to New Orleans before carrying out the attack.
Jabbar had planned to use a transmitter to detonate two explosives he had placed near the site of the attack. However, neither device went off, and the transmitter was recovered along with two guns found in the truck. It is unclear whether the devices failed to detonate because Jabbar had not activated the transmitter or because it did not work.
Authorities also discovered bomb-making materials at a short-term rental house on Mandeville Street, where Jabbar had apparently spent time before the attack. The FBI said Jabbar used accelerants to set fire to the house, which was largely extinguished by firefighters arriving on the scene. A homemade device was recovered from the property, believed to be intended as a rifle suppressor.
Neighbors reported seeing suspicious activity at the rental house on New Year’s Eve, including one resident who claimed his security camera captured Jabbar unloading materials from the truck used in the attack. The FBI has concluded that Jabbar carried out the attack around 3:15 a.m.
The area where Jabbar stayed is located in a neighborhood with long-standing resentment towards short-term rentals, which have housed some families for generations.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/us/new-orleans-attack-airbnb-fire.html