New Orleans (AFP) – New Orleans attack suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar was a US Army veteran from Texas who apparently experienced marital and financial difficulties after leaving the military. Jabbar, 42, posted a series of online videos before driving a rented truck into New Year’s revelers in which he discussed plans to kill his family and dreams that inspired him to join the Islamic State, according to CNN. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured before Jabbar was shot dead by police. An Islamic State flag was found in his truck, according to the FBI.
The Pentagon said the Texas-born Jabbar had served in the US Army as a human resources and IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, and then in the army reserve until 2020. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 until January 2010, an army spokesperson said, and he held the rank of staff sergeant when honorably discharged. The Wall Street Journal reported that he was awarded the Global War on Terrorism medal for his service in Afghanistan. After leaving the military, Jabbar worked in real estate in Houston and most recently as a “senior solutions specialist” with the consulting firm Deloitte, where the Journal said he was earning nearly $125,000 a year.
In a video posted on YouTube four years ago, Jabbar — speaking with a southern US accent — boasted of his skills as a “fierce negotiator” while advertising his property management services to potential clients. Jabbar was twice married, according to The New York Times, and had three children. After his second marriage ended in divorce in 2022, he detailed his financial problems in an email to his wife’s lawyer. “I cannot afford the house payment,” he reportedly wrote, adding that his real estate company had lost more than $28,000 in the previous year, and he had taken on thousands of dollars in credit card debt to pay for lawyers.
CNN mentioned that Jabbar referenced his divorce in the videos posted before the attack and discussed a plan to kill his family. He said he changed his plans, however, after being inspired by dreams to join the Islamic State.
– ‘Radicalization, not religion’ –
Jabbar’s younger brother, Abdur Jabbar, told The New York Times in Beaumont, Texas, where they grew up, that his brother was “a sweetheart really, a nice guy, a friend, really smart, caring.” He noted that his brother had converted to Islam at a young age, but emphasized that “what he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalization, not religion.”
Criminal records reported by the Times show that Jabbar had two previous charges for minor offenses — one in 2002 for theft and another in 2005 for driving with an invalid license. Georgia State University confirmed to AFP that Jabbar attended the university from 2015 to 2017, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer systems. In his YouTube video — seen by AFP but later removed by moderators — Jabbar spoke highly about his time serving in the US military. He stated that with this experience, he “learned the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, dotting I’s and crossing T’s to make sure that things go off without a hitch.”
© 2024 AFP
