Body language expert says New Orleans terrorist exhibited 'red flags' before attack
The New Orleans terrorist attacker raised "red flags" as he placed two IEDs in the French Quarter hours before he carried out an attack that left 14 civilians dead, according to behavioral analyst Susan Constantine.
Constantine described Shamsud-Din Jabbar as an "anomaly" in the French Quarter on New Year's Eve, as shown in videos released by the FBI last week. In the videos, Jabbar can be seen wearing a long, formal-looking coat and glasses, carrying a cooler on wheels and frequently looking at his phone.
"These are all red flags," Constantine told Fox News Digital. "Anyone looking for danger would pull out these anomalies, he’s texting very quickly, obviously in communication with someone else. And then he’s motioning to someone."
Jabbar appears to wave around the 2:30-minute mark in the surveillance video of him carrying around the IED coolers in the French Quarter, and while he may have been waving to an accomplice, Constantine said the wave also could have been an attempt to look less "conspicuous."
BOURBON STREET TERROR VICTIMS SUE NEW ORLEANS AS LOUISIANA AG INVESTIGATES SECURITY LAPSES
"It was so blatantly obvious that it was literally disgusting," the behavioral analyst said of Jabbar's wave. "You have to think how they think: How would they try to appear normal? They’re performers and actors. . . . I think we need to have more education to consumers, because officers and security can’t have their eyes everywhere."
The FBI said after the attack that Jabbar had acted alone, but a New Orleans Field Office spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "[a]ll things are under investigation at this point," when asked whether Jabbar may have been waving at an accomplice.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK
Constantine also noted other oddities in Jabbar's behavior seen in video footage from the FBI: He is alone in crowds of friends partying on Bourbon Street on New Year's Eve, he is wearing clothes that look more formal than other people in the area, he is carrying a rolling cooler and then leaves it behind, he is frequently texting on his phone, and he paces a lot, which she described as "happy feet" due to the adrenaline rush of knowing what he was about to do.
NEW ORLEANS BARRICADE OVERSIGHT IN ‘TARGET AREA FOR TERRORISM’ DURING PRIME SEASON RAISES CONCERNS
"This is what we see over and over and over again," the analyst said. "There are behavioral indicators of the anomaly."
Constantine mentioned, however, that there are "a bunch of nuts" on Bourbon Street whom visitors might not think twice about, especially because they are drinking, and they may be focused on other sensory experiences, especially the loud jazz music and colorful artwork that the French Quarter is known for.
"They are hard to pick out," she said of suspicious people on Bourbon Street. "That’s exactly why he chose where he did, because there are lots of people out — a bunch of nuts walking around, so why would they pay attention to him?"
NEW ORLEANS ATTACK COULD EMBOLDEN ISIS TO RADICALIZE OTHER AMERICANS, EXPERTS SAY
The FBI continues to investigate the attack and said Jabbar was motivated by ISIS extremism.
Federal authorities announced last week that Jabbar had previously visited New Orleans on two occasions — once on Oct. 31, 2024, and once on Nov. 10, 2024. The attacker also visited Cairo, Egypt, and Toronto, Canada, prior to the attack, the FBI said.
While Jabbar apparently acted alone, authorities are still investigating whether he had any accomplices.