Chemical used for explosives found in New Orleans terrorist’s storage unit: FBI

A common chemical used for explosives was discovered by the FBI in a Texas storage locker linked to Bourbon Street terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who the agency has identified as the person who carried out the New Year’s attack in New Orleans.

The storage unit was rented by Jabbar and located roughly a mile from his Houston-area home in Harris County, officials with the FBI’s Houston field office said in a release. 

Bottles of sulfuric acid were discovered Monday inside a cooler in the unit during an overnight search by the FBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the agencies said.

Sulfuric acid is widely used and commercially available, and it can be combined with other chemicals to make explosives.

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The discovery was made during a “court-authorized law enforcement activity” at the facility.

FBI Houston said there is no threat to the public.

FBI officials have said Jabbar left two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in New Orleans that did not detonate.

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Authorities also confirmed that Jabbar left bomb-making materials at his rented Airbnb in New Orleans prior to the attack.

“They said they found bomb-making material in the yellow house and wanted the bomb squad to look it over,” Bob Koenig, a neighbor, told FOX 8 New Orleans.

After Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, drove a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street at approximately 3:15 a.m. local time New Year’s Day, the FBI began investigating the matter as an “act of terrorism.” 

After driving his rented vehicle into the crowd of revelers, Jabbar got out of the truck and shot at law enforcement, who returned fire. The suspect was declared dead at the scene, according to the bureau.

An ISIS flag, weapons and an IED were found in the vehicle, the FBI said.