A U.S. Army veteran unleashed a horrific attack on New Year's revelers in New Orleans, resulting in multiple fatalities and shocking revelations through pre-attack recordings.
NBC News reported that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, originally from Texas, declared his allegiance to ISIS and his plans to kill his family in videos sent before his violent spree.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar's journey from a troubled personal life to committing a deadly terrorist attack began months before the New Year's Eve incident.
Facing financial ruin and professional setbacks after his third divorce, Jabbar’s descent into radical behavior surprised those around him, including his family.
In early 2024, his behavior took a darker turn as he posted content online condemning music as sinful. While these actions puzzled those who knew him, they did not predict the extent of his radical transformation.
Jabbar left Houston for New Orleans on the last day of the year with a sinister plan. During this drive, he recorded messages to his family revealing his new extremist beliefs and hinted at violence towards them.
According to law enforcement, these recordings were not immediately available for public review but were described in reports by major news outlets. In these videos, Jabbar disturbingly admitted to joining ISIS, expressing regret not for sparing his family's lives.
"I wanted you to know that I joined ISIS earlier this year," Jabbar stated in one of the videos, a fact later confirmed by the authorities investigating the attack.
Upon arriving in New Orleans, Jabbar executed the final stages of his attack by planting two improvised explosive devices on Bourbon Street. With the city bustling with New Year’s Eve celebrations, the scene was set for a devastating impact.
Shortly after, he drove a rented truck into a crowd of revelers at approximately 3:15 a.m., tragically killing 14 individuals. The immediate chaos and resultant casualties marked one of the darkest starts to a new year the city had witnessed.
Police responded swiftly to the incident, leading to a shootout that ended Jabbar's rampage and his life. This violent conclusion underlined the severity of the threat and the quick action of local law enforcement.
Before his radical turn, Jabbar's life was marred by multiple personal and financial setbacks. Court records from January 2022 detail a man struggling with business losses, significant credit card debt, and failing to keep up with mortgage payments.
By mid-2022, his financial reserves had nearly depleted, with his bank records showing just over two thousand dollars. These pressures, combined with personal anguish from his marital failures, created a volatile foundation for radicalization.
Experts have often noted that veterans can be particularly vulnerable to extremist ideologies, with Jabbar’s situation fitting this distressing pattern. His transformation into someone capable of mass violence was unseen and unexpected by his closest acquaintances.
Jabbar's half-brother, Abdur-Rahim Jabbar IV, expressed utter shock at the actions of someone he described as previously kind and unassuming.
"It’s a complete surprise, a shock to everyone," he remarked, echoing the disbelief of friends and colleagues who had known Jabbar in better times.
Despite some past religious discussions, Jabbar's radical leanings were not prominently shared with his family, making the revelation of his allegiance to ISIS and his violent actions even more baffling.
In arresting the immediate crisis and preventing further harm, the actions of the New Orleans police were pivotal. The community, while deeply shaken, began a painful process of recovery and reflection on the events that transpired.
As investigations continue, the ordeal has prompted a deeper examination of how individuals embrace radical ideologies and the signs that might help predict such transformations. For New Orleans, a city celebrated for its vibrant culture and resilience, the attack was a somber reminder of the threats posed by radicalized individuals.