Former Judge Andrew Napolitano told Newsmax on Thursday that "the FBI continues to disappoint" as federal investigators continue to probe the attack on a New Year's celebration in New Orleans that killed more than a dozen people.
The FBI said on Wednesday that 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an Army veteran from Texas, has been identified as the sole suspect in the attack on Bourbon Street. He reportedly released multiple videos online in the hours before the attack "proclaiming his support for ISIS," according to investigators, and claiming to have joined the terrorist group sometime last year.
Napolitano asked on "National Report," "Now, what is the significance of this being a terrorist attack?"
He added later that "the FBI continues to disappoint. We'll see if they act aggressively in the pursuit of these people."
Napolitano claimed that "it's almost inconceivable that this guy did it on his own; it's almost inconceivable that they haven't caught whoever these other people are yet" and went on to claim that anyone "who conspired to do this" could face "the same penalty as the person who did it, even though, of course, he's now dead."
He later said that if additional suspects are charged, "it probably will be a federal crime, just because when the feds can grab the limelight, they want to. The feds have a death penalty; Louisiana has a death penalty as well."
Napolitano explained that while "normally, murder is a state crime, but when it is carried out in such a way to terrify the public — the classic case is New Orleans — then it becomes terrorism. Then it becomes a federal crime. Then you have all the massive machinery of the federal government coming down on these people."
The FBI said on Thursday that although authorities initially believed there were others involved in the incident, they now believe the suspect acted alone. Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that the suspect changed his clothes after placing explosive devices in the area, causing investigators to believe that multiple suspects were involved.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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