The individual responsible for the car ramming attack during New Year’s in New Orleans has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen born in Texas who previously served in the US military. According to the FBI, Jabbar’s actions resulted in the death of 15 individuals and left at least 35 others injured. Prior to the attack, Jabbar reportedly recorded a series of videos in which he mentioned having dreams instructing him to join ISIS. It is currently under investigation whether Jabbar recorded these videos himself during his journey from Texas to Louisiana. In the recordings, he discussed his divorce and initially planning a violent act against his family before ultimately deciding to join ISIS.
Jabbar, who worked as an estate agent, had a military background with a 10-year service in the US Army, which included a deployment to Afghanistan. Following his death in a police encounter, details about his life, including his career and financial struggles, have surfaced. Records indicate that Jabbar had served in the military as a human resources and IT specialist. He later transitioned to work as a property manager and real estate agent. Additionally, he mentioned in a YouTube video that he had experience working for the Midas Group and Blue Meadow Properties.
Financial documents from August 2022 revealed Jabbar’s financial difficulties, including late home payments, credit card debt, and a risk of foreclosure. He had also faced previous minor charges for theft and driving with an invalid license. Education records show that Jabbar obtained an associate’s degree in IT from Central Texas College and a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Georgia State University.
On Sunday morning, Alethea Duncan, the FBI assistant special agent in charge of the investigation, addressed the media at a press conference, stating: “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible for Wednesday’s attack.”
According to reports, federal agents were stationed at the residence of Jabbar’s second wife in north Houston on Wednesday. The New York Times reported that her current husband, Dwayne Marsh, disclosed that Jabbar had recently started to embrace Islam and exhibited erratic behavior. Marsh shared that Jabbar had two daughters, one a teenager and the other a young adult, who were deeply affected by the events of the attack.
A man identified as Abdur Jabbar from Beaumont, Texas, claimed to be Jabbar’s brother in an interview with The New York Times. He described Jabbar as a kind-hearted individual, a friendly and intelligent person who cared for others. Abdur Jabbar mentioned that his brother had converted to Islam at a young age, clarifying that Jabbar’s actions were not representative of true Islamic teachings but rather a form of radicalization.
The FBI expressed uncertainty regarding the timeline of Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s radicalization according to a report by Sky News. Additionally, The Associated Press revealed that a photo circulated among law enforcement officials in New Orleans depicted a bearded Jabbar in camouflage, lying next to the truck after being fatally shot by police. Reports indicated the presence of an IS (Islamic State) flag in the truck, described as a homemade flag made from a piece of white plastic attached to the vehicle with a grey puffer jacket.
Furthermore, it was noted that a handgun and an AR-15 style rifle were recovered from the white Ford F-150 Lightning electric pick-up truck. Although the vehicle was registered to a different individual from Texas, it was listed on Turo, a platform enabling vehicle owners to rent out their cars. The FBI reported the discovery of a potential improvised explosive device in the vehicle, as well as other possible explosive devices in the vicinity of the attack site distinct from where the assailant drove into the crowd.
Authorities are treating the incident as an act of terrorism and suspect that Jabbar did not act alone. The process and timeline of his radicalization remain unclear.
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