Federal investigators discovered bomb-making materials while searching his Texas home. Man responsible for fatal truck attack Friday on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, law enforcement officials said.
Samsuddin JavaThe 42-year-old US citizen from Texas was living in Houston. It’s unclear what type of material investigators found at the Houston home. They compiled a materials inventory and returned the house to its owner.
“The search turned up chemicals, filters, thermometers and numerous other items used to make homemade high explosive bombs,” said Richard Esposito, CBS Law Enforcement contributor and author of “Bomb Squad.” He said the precursor chemicals found in the home included several chemicals used to make powerful explosives.
Officials said Jabbar drove from Houston to New Orleans in a rented pickup truck. passed through the crowd Around 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, many people gathered, 14 people killed Dozens of people were injured. Officials said he was shot and killed by police. The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
FBI Counterintelligence Assistant Director Christopher Raia said during a briefing Thursday that Jabbar placed two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on Bourbon Street. Raia said the device was found in a cooler and was active at the time, but was “secured” by law enforcement. A person familiar with the investigation told CBS News the device was a rudimentary pipe bomb with shrapnel including nails, screws and thumbtacks.
Two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News that Java was wearing body armor at the time of the attack. He also had two weapons, described by law enforcement as an AR-15 style weapon and a handgun.
Investigators also searched the Airbnb where Jabbar stayed in New Orleans and blasted materials from the Airbnb location Wednesday afternoon that they described as being linked to them. The building caught fire Wednesday morning.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Friday that after starting a small fire in the hallway, Java “appeared to have placed accelerants strategically throughout the home to destroy it and other evidence of the crime.” However, the fire is said to have burned itself out before spreading to other rooms.
the House Homeland Security Committee and other members of Congress; I received an FBI briefing. at the inquest Thursday. The FBI confirmed it found no evidence that Jabbar had co-conspirators or was directed by foreign actors or terrorist organizations, but the attack was inspired by ISIS, a committee aide told CBS News.
The FBI said Thursday that Java posted a video declaring support for ISIS and had an ISIS flag attached to his vehicle’s trailer hitch just before the deadly rampage.
The federal agency said: Notice issued Friday night Vehicle ramming attacks followed by use of sidearms, including explosives, are an approved ISIS tactic; Warning of “copycat or retaliation” attacks.
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Robert Legar,
and Anna Schecter contributed to this report.
