New Orleans attacker used Meta glasses for reconnaissance

Myrthil explained that the glasses allow users to “record videos and photos hands-free” and potentially livestream. (Photo By cavebear42/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

By Anadolu, Philippine News Agency

ANKARA – Authorities are investigating the background of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US Army veteran and Daesh/ISIS supporter, who used Meta smart glasses to record reconnaissance footage in New Orleans before a New Year’s Day truck attack that killed 14 people and injured 35 others, press reports revealed Monday.

Jabbar traveled to Egypt and Canada in 2023, and FBI officials are examining whether these trips are connected to his attack on Bourbon Street.

“Our agents are gathering answers as to where he went, who he met, and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions in our city,” Lyonel Myrthil, special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, told Al Jazeera.

In addition, according to NBC News, Jabbar had stayed in New Orleans twice before the attack, in October and November. He resided in rental homes while recording videos in the French Quarter using Meta smart glasses during his cycling activities.

Myrthil explained that the glasses allow users to “record videos and photos hands-free” and potentially livestream.

However, the glasses were not activated during the New Year’s Day attack, both media outlets reported.

On the day of the attack, Jabbar drove a rented truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring 35 others before being shot dead by police.

Investigators also found two homemade bombs placed in coolers at the scene, although they failed to detonate.

Explosive materials resembling Research Department Explosive (RDX) were found at a rental property Jabbar had set on fire, according to NBC News.

Jabbar had posted videos online pledging allegiance to Daesh/ISIS and acted alone during the attack, Al Jazeera reported.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia confirmed that investigators are still probing Jabbar’s connections both in the US and abroad, including those made during his trips to Egypt and Canada.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are scheduled to visit New Orleans on Monday to pay their respects to the victims as investigations continue.

At least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured when Jabbar drove a rented truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street.

The attack is considered one of the deadliest Daesh/ISIS-inspired assaults in the US since the 2016 massacre in Orlando, Florida.

Although Jabbar had not previously attracted law enforcement attention, the attack followed tactics encouraged by Daesh/ISIS.

The FBI discovered bomb-making materials linked to Jabbar in his rental property and home in Houston, Texas.