Authorities have disclosed further information regarding the fire set by Shamsud-Din Jabbar at a short-term rental property just hours before the tragic New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street that claimed 14 lives. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) concluded its investigation of the Mandeville Street residence, confirming Jabbar ignited a fire around 12:15 a.m., approximately four hours prior to the French Quarter assault.
The ATF stated Jabbar used matches to start the fire in a linen closet adjacent to the washer and dryer, a confined area within the hallway. Accelerants were also discovered in other rooms, intended to obliterate evidence, but the fire ultimately extinguished itself due to lack of oxygen. A neighbor reported the smell of smoke around 5:18 a.m., leading the New Orleans Fire Department to discover the smoldering fire and subsequently alert law enforcement. The ATF and FBI then secured the scene.
This fire, while intended to destroy evidence, inadvertently preserved crucial clues. Previously, the FBI reported recovering bomb-making precursors and a suspected homemade silencer from the property. The ATF also revealed Jabbar purchased one of the attack rifles from a private seller in Texas, who was reportedly unaware of Jabbar's extremist views. Evidence of RDX, a potent explosive, was also located at the rental. However, authorities noted Jabbar's inexperience in using an electric match to detonate explosives designed for a detonator contributed to the fire's failure to spread and cause greater damage.
