The door to Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s mobile home in Houston leans on its frame Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. FBI agents gain entry to the home Thursday a day after Jabbar killed 14 people and injured 37 in a terror attack in New Orleans. (Chris Joseph/WVUE-TV Fox 8)
NEW ORLEANS – “Precursor chemicals” for making explosives were found at the home of terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s home in Houston, according to the FBI.
Multiple news reports confirmed agents returned to Jabbar’s mobile home Friday to seek more evidence after first raiding it Thursday. The structure was left unsecured overnight, with reporters and other curious onlookers walking inside.
Harris County, Texas, sheriff’s deputies blocked the road into the neighborhood while the FBI conducted further investigations, and the gate into Jabbar’s property was closed, WVUE-TV Fox 8 reported. A vehicle was also seen being towed away from the home.
According to authorities, Jabbar put homemade bombs inside two rolling ice chests and placed them on Bourbon Street, blocks away from where he would plow through a crowd of people celebrating the New Year. The devices were safely disposed of later Wednesday.
Jabbar’s rampage left 14 people dead and 37 injured. Police killed Jabbar in a shootout after his truck crashed into a large hydraulic lift.
A working detonation device was found inside the cab of the Ford F-150 pickup Jabbar drove, WVUE is reporting.
More materials for making explosives were found Wednesday at a short-term rental property in the St. Roch neighborhood, 2 miles away from where the terror attack took place. A small fire was reported at the home after the attack, which investigators believe was an attempt to destroy evidence.
Memorial site comes together
A collection of wreaths, crosses, flowers and candles has come together on the block of Bourbon Street where the terror attack took place. Police escorted a group of family members of some of the people killed to the site, where some reflected, prayed and wept as camera crews and reporters looked on.
The first of what’s expected to be multiple memorials on Bourbon Street this weekend was scheduled for Friday night.
In the meantime, Orleans Parish Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna released the names of 12 of the 14 people who died in the attack. The identity of a British citizen was withheld at the family’s request, and another victim was listed as an unknown Black female.
McKenna said Jabbar’s body has yet to be released to his family at the direction of federal investigators.
This is a developing story.