HOUSTON – Investigators are releasing more details about the man involved in the deadly New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran who resided in Houston, was identified as the suspect in the attack that killed at least 14 people and injured more than 30. He reportedly rammed a rented pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. as people were celebrating the new year.
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He died in a shootout with police, where two officers were also shot.
Investigators learned that the suspect built two bombs using what is believed to be an explosive so powerful that they could have sprayed shrapnel hundreds of yards and potentially killed or wounded hundreds of people. The good thing is, that the bombs did not detonate.
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According to NBC News, experts say the devices Shamsud-Din Jabbar built with a compound believed to be RDX would have had devastating effects.
Scott Sweetow, a former senior official with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and ex-director of the FBI’s Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center, explained to NBC News that a bomb containing RDX detonating in a busy New Orleans tourist area would have an impact comparable to several hand grenades exploding in a crowded street.
Reports indicate that the explosive device was stored in a cooler filled with nails alongside other bomb components. However, the bombs failed to detonate because Jabbar allegedly used an incorrect triggering device. According to federal law enforcement, he attempted to use an electric match, which is suitable for igniting pipe bombs made with powder explosives but inadequate for triggering RDX, a much more complex compound.
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RDX is classified as a high explosive but requires a secondary explosion, such as one initiated by a blasting cap or detonator, to activate. Three explosive experts interviewed by NBC News expressed surprise that Jabbar seemed aware of the obscure compound, which is more powerful than TNT, yet did not understand how to properly detonate it.
Authorities are still investigating whether Jabbar switched to a truck attack after his bomb failed or if the vehicle assault was always part of his plan. In addition to the explosives, Jabbar was reportedly in possession of a handgun and a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a homemade silencer.
On Monday, investigators searched his Houston residence, uncovering materials that tested positive for RDX in field analyses. Similarly, explosive materials discovered at a rental property in New Orleans were initially identified as R-Salt, a compound chemically similar to RDX. However, the ATF later clarified that further lab testing is likely to confirm that the material was also RDX.
RDX is highly restricted in the United States, as it is a military-grade explosive primarily used in demolition and mining operations. Purchasing it requires a federal license. Although stolen RDX occasionally surfaces in criminal circles, experts told NBC News they believe Jabbar may have synthesized the explosive himself—a process that is both labor-intensive and extremely hazardous.
This theory is supported by footage from inside Jabbar’s Houston home, shared by the New York Post, which revealed a property receipt listing laboratory equipment and precursor chemicals such as acetone, sulfuric acid, and potassium nitrate, seized by federal investigators.