Photo credit: www.yahoo.com
U.S. Army Veteran Charged with Attack on New Year’s Revelers in New Orleans
A troubling incident unfolded in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve when a U.S. Army veteran from Texas drove a rental truck into a crowd celebrating the holiday. The individual, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, recorded videos during his journey to Louisiana in which he revealed disturbing intentions to harm his family and stated that he had joined ISIS.
In these videos, Jabbar addressed his family directly, declaring, “I joined ISIS earlier this year,” and added, “I don’t want you to think I spared you willingly.” He also reportedly mentioned wanting to organize a “celebration” where they would witness what he termed the “killing of the apostates,” suggesting dire and violent intentions toward his relatives.
According to a senior law enforcement official who spoke with NBC News under the condition of anonymity, the details of the videos were confirmed, although NBC News has not independently analyzed the footage. Jabbar, 42, traveled from Houston to New Orleans, where he ultimately executed his attack, claiming the lives of 14 individuals during the chaos that ensued.
Witnesses reported that Jabbar planted two improvised explosive devices before accelerating into the crowd around 3:15 a.m. The attack culminated in a deadly confrontation with police, who ultimately shot Jabbar.
Experts in the field have recognized patterns in Jabbar’s trajectory that align with typical indications of radicalization, particularly among veterans. Leading up to the incident, Jabbar was reportedly struggling with significant personal issues, including his third divorce, considerable debt, and job loss. Court records from early 2022 highlighted serious financial distress, with tens of thousands of dollars in debt and overdue mortgage payments.
The nature of his actions has left many—including family, friends, and former colleagues—perplexed. Jabbar was characterized as kind and unassuming by those who knew him well. His half-brother, Abdur-Rahim Jabbar IV, described the incident as a shocking surprise, saying, “It’s a complete surprise to everyone.”
The timeline of Jabbar’s ideological shift remains unclear. Abdur-Rahim noted their father was a Muslim and their mother, previously Christian, converted to Islam upon marriage. Jabbar was known to have a mild demeanor regarding his faith, although he did express his frustration over global issues, including the conflict in Gaza, labeling it as “genocide on both sides.”
After his latest marital separation, Jabbar appeared to have deepened his religious practices, although he did not openly discuss extremist views with his family. His half-brother described Jabbar as being on a quest for personal identity.
In the early months of 2024, Jabbar made audio recordings on SoundCloud, including one titled “Satan’s Voice,” in which he condemned music, claiming it could lead individuals into sinful behaviors such as drug use and violence.
Reports on this situation have raised significant concerns about the mental health and radicalization of veterans and emphasize the importance of addressing underlying issues that can lead to such catastrophic events.
For more details, refer to the article published by NBCNews.com.
Source
www.yahoo.com