New Orleans Attacker Used Meta Smart Glasses to Examine Bourbon Street | Watch

New Orleans: Shocking details have emerged about Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the attacker behind the car ramming incident in New Orleans. On Sunday, January 5, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released chilling footage recorded by Jabbar using Meta smart glasses. The video indicates that Jabbar carried out a reconnaissance of Bourbon Street in the French Quarter before executing his deadly attack that killed 14 people and injured 30 on New Year’s Day.

The footage, posted by the FBI, contains several clips. In the first, Jabbar can be seen conducting surveillance of Bourbon Street. While Jabbar himself isn’t visible, it’s clear from the footage that he is riding a bicycle. The perspective shifts as he moves his head, capturing different views of the area.

This newly released video provides a disturbing look at the meticulous preparation involved in Jabbar’s attack. The reconnaissance footage shows the extent of his planning before carrying out the car ramming, adding to the gravity of the situation.

Watch | Jabbar conducting reconnaissance of Bourbon Street

Another clip in the same video shows Jabbar standing in front of a mirror. The FBI says in its post that at this time, he was trying to test the smart glasses and was checking if they were recording correctly.

What is Meta Smart Glass?

Meta smart glasses are spectacles designed to record what the wearer is seeing. They also have the capability to perform online searches, allowing users to quickly access information about what they are observing.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar rammed his car into crowd celebrating New Year's Day on Bourbon Street in early hours of January 1, 2025. Ten people were reported dead in the immediate aftermath. The death toll rose later. Thirty other people were injured in the attack.

Jabbar worked in US military for more than a decade and had got radicalised thereafter. Recent videos he posted online showed him declaring allegiance to terror group ISIS.

After he ploughed the car through the crowd, Jabbar was killed in a gunfight with security personnel.