NEW ORLEANS - A US army veteran loyal to the Islamic State jihadist group likely acted alone when he killed 14 and injured dozens in a truck attack on a crowd of New Year revellers in New Orleans, the FBI said.
Despite initial concerns that Shamsud-Din Jabbar had accomplices still on the run, preliminary investigations show he likely acted alone, FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia said.
"We do not assess at this point that anyone else was involved," Raia said.
However, new evidence emerged detailing the extent of the US citizen's loyalty to Islamic State and his plans to cause mayhem in the early morning attack in New Orleans's French Quarter entertainment district, ending only after he was shot in a gunbattle with police.
More than 30 people were injured.
"He was 100 percent inspired by ISIS," Raia said, using an alternative name for the international jihadist group.
Just before the attack, in which Jabbar slammed a rented Ford F-150 pickup into the crowd, he "posted several videos to an online platform proclaiming his support for ISIS," Raia said.
A black ISIS flag was affixed to a pole on the back of his vehicle.
In one video, Jabbar "explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers.'"
Raia said Jabbar had planted two homemade bombs in drinks coolers in French Quarter streets.
The bombs were viable -- and according to President Joe Biden had remote detonators -- but were made safe in time, Raia said.
Raia clarified that the total death toll of 15 from Wednesday's carnage included 14 victims and Jabbar himself, who died after wounding two police officers in an exchange of gunfire.