Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect behind the New Orleans attack on Wednesday believed to have been inspired by ISIS, served in the Army for over ten years, according to his military records. He worked as an IT specialist and was deployed to Afghanistan between February 2009 and January 2010, according to a summary of his service history provided by the Army.
Jabbar was on active duty from March 2007 to January 2015 before moving to the reserves, where he served until July 2020. He held the rank of staff sergeant at the time he left the military, according to Army records. Jabbar was shot dead by cops after the deadly attack.
Planned Attack that Could Have Been Deadlier
Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen born and raised in Texas, traveled in an electric vehicle from Houston to Louisiana to execute the deadly attack that claimed 15 lives and injured at least 35 others. Jabbar is believed to have prepared the IED explosives at a nearby rental property.
Authorities are investigating the possibility that he used a rented Airbnb property in St. Roch as his base before launching the attack. The FBI recovered bomb-making materials from a two-bedroom, two-bathroom property near the French Quarter.
A total containment vessel was removed from the location around 8 p.m. on New Year's Day, just hours after authorities had evacuated nearby residents.
The neighborhood, primarily comprised short-term rentals for holiday tourists, has left many visitors without accommodations. Officials told one couple that they "shouldn't count" on returning to their property, as a three-street area was cordoned off.
The FBI was helped in the operation by special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security.
Authorities were alerted to the property after firefighters doused a blaze at the rental in the early morning hours, during which "bomb-making materials" were reportedly discovered.
State Attorney General Liz Murrill told NBC News, "We know that these individuals had rented the house were using it for that purpose."
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom property had been renovated by real estate developer Oliver Doxater of Wysteria Properties.
Sources suggest that Jabbar may have rented the home through Airbnb or a similar service prior to carrying out the deadly attack.
Shocking Details Emerge
Jabbar was shot dead by police after he drove a truck into a crowd of pedestrians celebrating the New Year, exited the vehicle, and began shooting. The truck, rented through the car-sharing app Turo, reportedly contained an ISIS flag and a chest filled with explosives.
Law enforcement is reviewing a series of videos allegedly created by Jabbar. Multiple officials told CNN that the videos, filmed at night while driving, do not show the suspect but appear to have been recorded during his journey.
Authorities suspect the videos were made as he traveled from Texas to Louisiana, though the exact timing remains uncertain.
According to CNN, the recordings make reference to Jabbar's divorce and detailed a plan to lure his family to a fake celebration with the intention of killing them.
The suspect also reportedly discussed how he joined ISIS and shared dreams he had about becoming part of the terrorist organization.
His brother, Abdur Jabbar, 24, of Beaumont, Texas, told The New York Times that his brother was a caring man, adding, "[He was] a sweetheart really, a nice guy, a friend, really smart, caring.'
He added that his brother had converted to Islam at a young age and emphasized, "what he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalization, not religion."
Just hours after the New Orleans terror attack, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded near the entrance of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
Elon Musk said on Wednesday's Cybertruck explosion that it was "likely an act of terrorism," occurring shortly after the New Orleans attack, which left 15 dead.
Fox5 reported that multiple agencies are now investigating potential connections between the two attacks.
The $80,000 vehicle, manufactured by Elon Musk's company, erupted in flames near the front revolving doors of the Trump International Hotel, killing one person and injuring seven others around 9 a.m., according to Las Vegas police.
By Wednesday afternoon, Musk revealed that the explosion was triggered by "a bomb placed in the bed of the rented Cybertruck" or possibly "very large fireworks."
He clarified that the incident was unrelated to any issues with the vehicle itself. Reports indicate the unnamed driver had rented the truck through Turo.
