The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Thursday (January 2) it now believes that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man behind the deadly New Orleans attack that left 15 dead, including himself, acted alone in the recent attack. The FBI also said that the suspect joined Islamic State before carrying out the attack.

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Initially, the FBI had suggested that Jabbar might not have acted alone. However, during a press conference held alongside Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell, Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI's counter-terrorism division, shared the latest development in the ongoing probe.

Also read: Indian PM Narendra Modi condemns 'cowardly terrorist attack' in New Orleans that killed 15

No 'definitive link' between New Orleans attack and cybertruck explosion: FBI

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“We cannot ease the grief people in this community and across the nation are feeling at this time,” Raia said. The FBI also said that it did not find any 'definitive link' between the New Orleans attack and the cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas. However, it added that the investigation is still in the early stages.

As per FBI, Jabbar picked up the vehicle used in the attack on 30 December in Houston, Texas, before driving it to New Orleans. During his journey, he uploaded several videos online.

In one video, Jabbar disclosed that he had initially planned to harm his family but decided against it, claiming such an act would not represent the "war between the believers and the disbelievers." 

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“This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act,” Raia said during the press conference. He added that the suspect’s video recordings indicated that he joined the Islamic State before carrying out the attack. 

The FBI said that Jabbar also planted two homemade bombs on Bourbon Street. "We did obtain surveillance footage showing Jabbar placing the devices where they were found," Raia said of the bombs hidden in coolers.

When asked about why Jabbar selected Bourbon Street as the site of the attack, Raia said that investigators assume it is because there would have been a lot of people out on New Year's Eve.

He added that in the coming days, law enforcement will try to figure out the suspect's "path to radicalisation".

"He was 100% inspired by ISIS," Raia added.

What happened during the New Orleans attack?

Police said that a man drove his pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street at approximately 3:15 am on Wednesday (January 1). The attack resulted in 15 deaths and left over 35 people injured. 

Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick described Jabbar as "hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," adding that he aimed to "run over as many people as he could."

During the attack, Jabbar also shot two police officers, who are now in stable condition. The FBI reported that he was killed in a gunfight with police.

(With inputs from agencies)