Investigators Uncover Potential Link Between New Orleans Attack Suspect And A Middle Eastern Country

Federal law enforcement officers are currently investigating whether a trip to the Middle East played a role in the New Orleans terrorist attack suspect’s path to radicalization.

Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on social media before intentionally running down New Years Day celebrants in the famed New Orleans French Quarter this past Thursday. Din Jabbar — whose truck contained explosive devices and an ISIS flag — was neutralized in a shootout with police after killing 14 people.

Din Jabbar is believed to have placed additional explosive devices around the French Quarter, which were defused by bomb squads. Investigators currently believe the attacker worked alone after initially searching for additional persons of interest, who were later determined to have simply been bystanders.

As the investigation into Din Jabbar’s radicalization continues, federal investigators are currently looking at a recent trip he took to Egypt. According to Din Jabbar’s half-brother, Abdul, the deceased attacker spent a month in the Arab nation in 2023. Din Jabbar — a Texas native and military veteran — told his brother that he was going to Egypt “because it was cheap and beautiful,” Abdul Jabar told ABC News.

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