A 42-year-old US citizen, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans’ French Quarter on Wednesday, killing 15 people. The FBI reported that a black flag associated with the Islamic State extremist group was recovered from his truck.
Jabbar, a former real estate agent, had been honorably discharged from the US Army in 2020. According to the Pentagon, he served as a human resource and IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, later transitioning to the Army Reserve until his retirement as a Staff Sergeant in 2020. He was deployed to Afghanistan for about a year, from February 2009 to January 2010.
Jabbar had a record of minor offenses, including a theft charge in 2002 and driving without a license in 2005. He had also faced personal and financial struggles, including two failed marriages, with his second ending in 2022. In correspondence with his second wife’s lawyer, he revealed significant financial difficulties, stating that his real estate business had lost over $28,000 in the past year and that he was burdened with credit card debt.
His brother, Abdur Jabbar, described him as a kind and intelligent individual who converted to Islam at a young age. However, he emphasised that the attack was more about radicalisation than religion. President Joe Biden noted that Jabbar had posted videos online before the attack, suggesting inspiration from ISIS.
Georgia State University confirmed that Jabbar graduated with a degree in computer systems in 2017. In a now-removed YouTube video, Jabbar praised his military experience, emphasising the values of responsibility and meticulousness he learned during his service.
