New Orleans attacker had a transmitter to set off explosive devices, F.B.I. says
Source: NBC News
Jan. 4, 2025, 5:00 AM EST / Updated Jan. 4, 2025, 9:07 AM EST
The driver who killed 14 people in an ISIS-inspired attack by plowing into a crowded New Orleans street on New Year’s Day had planned to use a transmitter to detonate two explosive devices he had placed nearby, authorities have said. The FBI and ATF said in a joint statement Friday that the explosives were placed on Bourbon Street, which Shamsud-Din Jabbar later turned into a scene of devastation.
Neither of the explosive devices were detonated, and it remains unclear whether the failure was due to a malfunction, lack of activation, or another issue. The transmitter and two guns were recovered from Jabbar’s truck, the statement said, and are being transported to an FBI laboratory for testing.
Federal investigators examining the attack say that Jabbar used a very rare explosive compound in the two devices, two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told NBC News. Authorities are investigating how Jabbar acquired the knowledge to create this homemade explosive, the officials said.
Those officials say that the explosive has never been used in a U.S. terror attack or incident, nor in any European terror attack. A key question for investigators is how Jabbar learned about the compound and how he managed to produce it.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-orleans-attack-transmitter-explosive-devices-fire-airbnb-fbi-rcna186223
= new reply since forum marked as read
Maybe nobody else uses that type of explosive compound because it's not very effective? Maybe procuring it didn't raise any red flags? 