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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has laid out more information relating to the terrorist attack in New Orleans the morning of New Year's Day on Bourbon Street that killed 15 people and injured dozens more.
During a press conference Thursday morning, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said this was indeed a planned out act of terrorism and that the suspect, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, acted alone when he drove a truck into a large group of people on the street.
"It was premeditated and it was an evil act," Raia told reporters Thursday morning. "We do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved in this attack."
Raia also said that Jabbar, a native of Houston and Army veteran, picked up the rented Ford F-150 used in the attack in Houston on December 30. Jabbar then posted multiple videos to Facebook starting at 1:29 a.m. with the last one posted at 3:02 a.m., just minutes before the attack, in which he showed his support to the ISIS terrorist group.
"He then drove from Houston to New Orleans on the evening of the 31st and he posted several videos on an online platform proclaiming his support for ISIS," said Raia.
FBI bomb technicians also discovered two improvised explosive devices in coolers that surveillance video showed Jabbar placing in the Bourbon Street area. Those are believed to be the only explosive devices.
"Those are the only two devices that we've been able to recover that were functional -- both devices were rendered safe on scene," he said.
According to Raia, Jabbar wanted to initially harm his family friends, but was concerned that the news headlines would not focus on the "war between the believers and nonbelievers." Jabbar pledged his support to ISIS last summer. An ISIS flag was also recovered from the back of the truck.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he issued an emergency declaration on Wednesday to ensure they have access to resources from the local, state and federal levels. Gov. Landry also said that they have already received hundreds of tips.
"More than 1,000 law enforcement officers have been "pouring over countless amounts of data, of videos, of surveillances, interviews, tracking down every possible lead," Landry said.
Authorities have already conducted search warrants in New Orleans and outside of Louisiana. A home in North Houston where Jabbar resided was among those searched. The FBI in Houston said "there is no threat to residents in that area."
The city is ramping up it's security measures as they prepare to host the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame, which was originally scheduled to be played Wednesday night.
The investigation is still in it's early stages and the city is an active crime scene. The FBI is asking anyone who was in the French Quarter on the night of New Year's Eve or the morning of New Year's Day with information related to the terrorist attack or about the suspect to come forward.
At this time, Raia also said there is no definitive link between the attack in New Orleans and the Cybertruck explosion at the Trump hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day.
However, in a late afternoon development, it was learned that the New Orleans suspect, and the driver of the Cybertruck served at the same U.S. military base, Fort Bragg in North Carolina.