January 2nd 2025.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar had a rather typical upbringing in Texas, but his path took a turn when he joined the U.S. Army. After his service, he found success in the real estate industry and was making a comfortable salary of $120,000 a year while working for a renowned consulting firm in Houston.
However, things were not as perfect as they seemed for the 42-year-old U.S. citizen. In 2022, he went through a third divorce and mentioned in court filings that he was struggling to pay his mortgage and his business was facing financial difficulties. Despite these pressures, no one could have predicted the tragic events that unfolded on New Year's Day.
Authorities are still piecing together the motive behind Jabbar's actions, which resulted in the death of 14 people and injury of 30 others in New Orleans. It was later revealed that the attack was inspired by the Islamic State group, making it one of the deadliest IS-related incidents on U.S. soil in recent years.
The FBI discovered that Jabbar had posted five videos on his Facebook account before the attack, in which he declared his allegiance to IS. Additionally, an IS flag was found in the truck he used to drive into the crowd on Bourbon Street.
Jabbar's brother, Abdur-Rahim Jabbar, expressed shock and disbelief at his brother's actions. He stated that Jabbar had become increasingly distant from their family and friends in recent years, but he had not noticed any signs of radicalization when they last spoke. It had been a few months since they had seen each other in person and a few weeks since they had talked on the phone.
Abdur-Rahim described his brother as a calm, well-mannered and level-headed individual, making his actions even more perplexing. According to law enforcement officials, after driving into the crowd and crashing the truck, Jabbar emerged wearing a ballistic vest and helmet, and started shooting at police. He injured at least two officers before being shot and killed by the police.
Jabbar's life before the attack was marked by frequent moves and changes. He had been stationed or lived in different states, including North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Alaska. He had also been married multiple times and had at least three children from his marriages.
He joined the Army in 2007 and served in human resources and information technology, including a deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. He then transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and left in 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant.
Jabbar also attended Georgia State University from 2015 to 2017 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer information systems. However, his personal life seemed to be in turmoil, with multiple divorces and financial struggles.
In January 2022, Jabbar mentioned in court documents that he was $27,000 behind on his mortgage and was unable to keep up with the payments. He also revealed that his businesses were not doing well, with one of them reporting a loss of $28,000 in 2021.
Despite these challenges, Jabbar was still making a decent income of $10,000 a month through his work in business development for Deloitte. However, it seems that the pressure and stress of his personal and financial issues may have taken a toll on him.
Neighbors at Jabbar's last known address, a small mobile home in a gated community in Houston, were shocked to hear about the tragic events. On Thursday, the FBI searched the area, but no further details were released.
Abdur-Rahim Jabbar mentioned that their father had declined to speak to reporters, and their mother did not respond to messages. Jabbar's ex-wife's current husband, Dwayne Marsh, told The New York Times that Jabbar had been behaving erratically in recent months. He also mentioned that he and his wife had stopped allowing their daughters to spend time with Jabbar.
Despite the turmoil in Jabbar's personal life, his brother and childhood friend, Chris Pousson, who is also a veteran, never saw any signs of anger or distress that could have led to such a violent attack. Pousson stated that he would have contacted the authorities if he had noticed any red flags, as he had experience in anti-terrorism during his military service.
In conclusion, the tragic events of New Year's Day have left many questioning what could have driven Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a successful and well-liked individual, to commit such a heinous act. Despite the challenges he faced, no one could have predicted or imagined that he was capable of such violence.
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