Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the deadly New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, videotaped several sessions in which he disclosed his diabolical designs, one of which was to assault his family members before perpetrating a violent act. In the chilling footage, Jabbar said he had previously thought of harming his family and friends but was afraid the media coverage would overshadow the “war between the believers and the disbelievers.” He also added that he joined ISIS before the summer and wrote a final will and testament.
This attack was carried out by a 42-year-old US citizen of Texas birth who is an ex-Army man. The man drove his pickup truck onto Bourbon Street killing 15 persons and injuring more. For six hours before he committed the act, Jabbar had posted five videos on Facebook stating his complaints referring to his divorce, and talking of plans to amass his family for a “celebration” with intent to kill them.
Later, police killed him by gunfire when he returned fire during the attack. He was in the US Army from 2007 until 2015 and in the Army Reserve until 2020. His brother Abdur-Rahim Jabbar, three years his junior, said in a statement: “I really couldn’t believe it. Completely unlike him.He hadn’t noticed any signs of radicalization despite recent isolation. In the course of the investigation, the FBI recovered an ISIS flag from Jabbar’s rented vehicle, and reports confirmed that he had planted two improvised explosive devices before the attack.
Eyewitnesses say Jabbar emerged from the truck wearing full body armor and carrying an assault rifle. It is also reported that Jabbar traveled to Egypt and Canada in 2023, though the details of his activities are not known.
