Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old man accused of crashing a truck into New Year’s Day revellers in New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring dozens of people, served in the US army for 13 years including a deployment to Afghanistan, the army said.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Thursday it believed no one else was involved in the attack, having earlier said it believed Jabbar – who had an Islamic State flag on his truck – did not act alone. Islamic State, also known as Isis, is a Sunni Muslim terror group that has carried out attacks throughout the world.
Jabbar, a US citizen raised in Texas, died at the scene of the attack in a shootout with police, officials said.
Jabbar served in the army as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from 2007 until 2015. He then joined the army reserve as an IT specialist until 2020, holding the rank of staff sergeant at the end of service, according to an army official, who added that Jabbar deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.
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Before serving in the army, Jabbar enlisted in the navy in August 2004 under a delayed entry programme but was discharged a month later, a navy official said.
Corporate records show that Jabbar got involved in a series of businesses in recent years.
In a promotional video for a property business posted to YouTube in 2020, a man with the same name as the suspect said his time in the military had taught him the importance of great service and taking everything seriously.
“I’ve taken those skills and applied them to my career as a real estate agent, where I feel like what really sets me apart from other agents is my ability to be able to ... be a fierce negotiator,” he said, encouraging clients to give him a call.
In the video, the man introduced himself as a manager at Blue Meadow Properties LLC, a Texas-based company whose licence expired in 2022. He was registered as a property sales agent for four years up to February 2023, records show.
The man said he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas.
[ ‘I heard the pops and I just ran’: New Orleans in shock after vehicle attackOpens in new window ]
Reuters was unable to reach anyone at the number provided by Jabbar in the video. Attempts to contact Jabbar’s relatives were also unsuccessful.
The FBI believes Jabbar rented the Ford pickup truck he used to ram into the crowd in New Orleans’ French Quarter in the early hours of Wednesday. Jabbar then opened fire on police, injuring 35 in addition to the at least 14 people who have died.
Court records show Jabbar was divorced in 2022, separating from his wife of five years. The couple had one child.
He does not appear to have a violent criminal record before the attack. According to Texas records, Jabbar was charged with a misdemeanor in 2002 for a property theft and arrested in 2005 for driving with an invalid licence. – Reuters
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