Missouri Man Charged with Distributing Explosives Tutorials Linked to Bourbon Street Attack

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Missouri man with distributing instructional bomb-making videos on social media that were allegedly used in a mass-casualty attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. U.S. Attorney Matthew Price stated that investigators believe Shamsud-Din Jabbar downloaded the tutorials before killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others on Bourbon Street.

According to officials, Jabbar drove a pickup truck into the area and placed improvised explosive devices consistent with the videos near the site of the attack. Jabbar, who was wearing a ballistic vest, was killed by police after he opened fire on officers. The explosives did not detonate and were safely recovered by law enforcement. Prosecutors also linked the instructional videos to a separate explosion that occurred earlier this month at a residence in Odessa, Missouri.

The defendant faces one count of distributing information relating to the manufacture of explosives, along with charges for the unlicensed making and possession of explosive devices. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 40 years in prison, including two 10-year sentences and one 20-year sentence. Court records do not currently list an attorney for the man charged with producing the videos.