ISIS-inspired terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar set fire to a luxury Airbnb property in New Orleans to destroy evidence, federal officials revealed. The 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran left the two-bedroom, two-bathroom property on Mandeville Street strewn with white powder and wires before executing the deadly attack that killed 15 and injured 35 others.
He turned the residence into a bomb-making facility before setting one of the bedrooms on fire. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a statement that Jabbar "set a small fire in the hallway and strategically placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it and other evidence of his crime."
Every Move Planned Before Deadly Attack
One of the windows of the property was shattered, giving a glimpse of a charred room covered in black soot and ash. The investigation revealed that after Jabbar left the scene, the fire eventually burned out on its own before it could spread.
By the time New Orleans fire officials arrived, they were able to recover several pieces of evidence.
On the site, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) found bomb-making materials and a homemade device believed to be a rifle silencer.
Jabbar also had plans to use a transmitter found in his F-150 truck to remotely detonate two IEDs he had placed on Bourbon Street, which are now being sent to Quantico for testing.
Federal bomb disposal teams and investigators in hazmat suits swarmed the street, sealing off the rental property and urging locals to stay clear.
After two days of investigation, the property was returned to its owner, who declined to comment, citing FBI instructions.
Investigators believe the terrorist used the property as a bomb-making workshop, where he assembled IEDs that were loaded into the back of his EV truck on New Year's Eve.
A cooler was found on Bourbon Street by officers, confirming that Jabbar planned to detonate the device remotely.
His Bomb-Making Factory
The bomb-making station was likely one of the two bedrooms, with the bed covered in an unidentified white powder, black wires, and plastic materials.
A queen-sized bed without pillows was found scattered with the white powder, scissors, paper, and a plastic Kroger grocery bag.
Investigators also collected "terabytes worth of video" from local security cameras, along with clothing and shell casings.
Other items, such as a blue box cutter, work gloves, several pairs of latex gloves, and trash bags, were scattered across the property.
One trash bag, which contained discarded work gloves and a takeout box, suggested that Jabbar may have eaten a pizza before carrying out the deadly attack. Strong cleaning chemicals were left outside the property, alongside blue gloves, and one of the windows appeared to have been smashed.
Authorities believe that Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, drove an electric vehicle from Houston to Louisiana to execute the deadly assault that killed 15 and injured at least 35.
Investigators are also looking into the possibility that he rented an Airbnb property in the St. Roch neighborhood of New Orleans as a base before launching the attack.
