New Orleans truck attack: US army veteran who was ‘quiet and smart’ – what we know about suspect
The suspect in the New Orleans truck attack has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
The FBI said he was a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas. Talking about himself in a promotional video, Jabbar said he was born and raised in the state.
At least 15 people were killed in the suspected terror attack, which also injured dozens of others.
Latest updates on New Orleans attack
An IS flag was attached to the pick-up truck that was driven down Bourbon Street
The attack
US army veteran Jabbar is believed to have driven a Ford pick-up truck into a crowd of revellers celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of the southern US city.
Police said he was “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did”.
“It was very intentional behaviour. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” said police chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
Superintendent Kirkpatrick said the driver, who swerved around barricades, shot and wounded two police officers from the vehicle after it crashed.
The officers were in stable condition, she added.
Analysis: IS flag link is stark reminder dangerous extremist Islamist ideology never went away
Jabbar died in firefight
Jabbar was killed in a firefight with police following the attack around 3.15am local time (9.15am UK time) on Wednesday.
The bureau said the truck appeared to have been rented.
It also said an ISIS flag, weapons, and a potential improvised explosive device (IED) were found in the vehicle.
Investigators recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle after the shootout, a law enforcement official said.
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Jabbar was army veteran
Jabbar served in the US army on active duty from 2007 to 2015, then in the army reserves from 2015 to 2020.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. He was a staff sergeant when he left with an honourable discharge in 2020.
Separately, he tried to enlist in the navy in 2004 but never actually shipped or began training.
A photo of Jabbar while he was in the US military. Pic: Facebook/Reuters
A navy spokesperson said: “Our records show that a Shamsuddin Bahar Jabbar enlisted on 12 August 2004, in Navy Recruiting District Houston and was discharged from the Delayed Entry Programme one month later on 13 September 2004.
“He did not go to Recruit Training Command. The DOB matches. Because he did not serve in the navy, there is no additional information to add to the attached biography.”
NBC, Sky News’ US network partner, reported that Jabbar was a human resource specialist and information technology specialist from 2007 to January 2015 in the regular US army.
He was also an IT specialist in the army reserves between 2015 and 2020.
He also attended Georgia State University from 2015 to 2017, and graduated with a BBA in computer information systems, a spokesperson from the university told NBC.
The student paper interview back in 2015. Pic: Sean Keenan/Georgia State University
Whilst at the university, Jabbar gave an interview to the student newspaper in which he said he struggled to adjust to civilian life after leaving the military.
Author of the article, Sean Keenan, recalled in The New York Times that Jabbar complained about the complexity of veterans trying to get funding for tuition and other educational benefits and how he found it tricky not to use military jargon at the time of the interview.
‘Quiet, smart, articulate’
A childhood friend said Jabbar’s alleged actions on New Year’s Day don’t align at all with the person he knew growing up in Beaumont, Texas.
“What happened today was a complete 180 of anything I ever knew about him,” Chris Pousson, told NBC.
Referring to him as “Sham”, Mr Pousson said he last spoke with Jabbar sometime in 2017 in 2018.
“He was very quiet, very reserved, smart, articulate,” he said.
He said he first met Jabbar in 1996 at Beaumont Middle School. They became instant friends and later attended the same high school. After graduating, the two lost touch when Jabbar joined the army and Mr Pousson joined the air force.
Several years later they reconnected on Facebook. It was then Mr Pousson noticed Jabbar’s posts focused on his Muslim faith.
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New Orleans suspect ‘says hello’ on old promo vid
“It was always positive – peace be with you, uplifting type of stuff,” Mr Pousson said. “Nothing that he posted online that I saw was negative.
“I didn’t see this coming from a mile away.”
The suspect’s brother, Abdur Jabbar, told The New York Times that they last spoke two weeks ago. He said Jabbar did not mention any desire to go to New Orleans.
The 24-year-old said that they had both been brought up Christian, but his brother had converted to Islam a long time ago.
“As far as I know he was a Muslim for most of his life,” Mr Jabbar said.
“What he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalisation, not religion.”
According to Mr Jabbar, his brother had a six-year-old son and older daughters, The Times reported.
YouTube video
Jabbar is known to have appeared in a promotional video on YouTube in 2020 talking about his real estate business.
In the footage, he said he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He said he served in the military for 10 years as a human resources and IT specialist, learning 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.
It is also known Jabbar had been working at professional services giant Deloitte since 2021.
In a statement confirming his employment, the company, which provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and legal services, told NBC it was shocked to learn of its connection to Jabbar.
“Like everyone, we are outraged by this shameful and senseless act of violence and are doing all we can to assist authorities in their investigation,” Deloitte managing director Jonathan Gandal said.
Was Jabbar helped by others?
The FBI initially said it did not believe he was “solely responsible” for Wednesday’s attack, but later ruled out three other potential suspects they were looking into. It is not known if he worked alone or not.
It is investigating the attacker to determine “potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations”.
President Joe Biden said the suspect had expressed a “desire to kill” and had posted a video to social media hours before the attack in which he said he was inspired by the Islamic State group.
Officials are also looking into a “possible military connection” between Jabbar and the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas outside one of Donald Trump’s hotels, according to NBC News reports.
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New Orleans suspect ‘inspired by ISIS’
The driver, who has not been identified, was killed in the explosion. Sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News he had previous military experience.
The officials are also looking into the fact both men used the Turo car app to rent the vehicles used in both incidents.
Previous arrests
Jabbar was arrested in Texas in 2002 for theft, classed as a misdemeanour, and he was fined $100 by a court.
He was also arrested in the same state in 2005 for driving with an invalid licence, also classed as a misdemeanour, and was fined $100 by a court.
Twice-married
Civil records show Jabbar was married twice, with his first marriage ending in 2012, NBC reported.
A petition for a second divorce was initiated in 2021.
Public records show that in 2020, Jabbar’s then wife filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against him.
The order stated that both parties should not engage in “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury to the other party or to a child of either party” or “threatening the other party or a child of either party with imminent bodily injury”.
The divorce was finalised in 2022. Jabbar and his ex-wife were granted joint custody of their child.
A woman who identified herself to NBC as Jabbar’s sister-in-law and asked to not be named said relatives in Texas were in shock when they heard the news.
It makes “no sense,” she said. “He’s the nicest person I’ve ever known.”
“I really don’t know what happened,” she added. “He was a good man. He takes care of his children and everything.”
FBI says other possible explosives found
Two other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter and were made safe, the FBI said.
The historic area is known for attracting large crowds with its music and bars.
Donald Trump has said he would try to return territory to Ukraine as he prepares to meet Vladimir Putin and lay the groundwork for a deal to bring an end to the war.
“Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They’ve occupied some very prime territory. We’re going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine,” the US president said at a White House news conference ahead of Friday’s summit in Alaska.
Mr Trump also said: “There’ll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody, to the good of Ukraine.”
He said he’s going to see what Mr Putin “has in mind” to end the three-and-a-half-year full-scale invasion.
Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House. Pic: Reuters
And he said if it’s a “fair deal,” he will share it with European and NATO leaders, as well as Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who have been liaising closely with Washington ahead of the meeting.
Asked if Mr Zelenskyy was invited to the summit with Mr Putin in Alaska, Mr Trump said the Ukrainian leader “wasn’t a part of it”.
“I would say he could go, but he’s gone to a lot of meetings. You know, he’s been there for three and a half years – nothing happened,” Mr Trump added.
The US president said Mr Putin wants to get the war “over with” and “get involved” in possible talks but acknowledged Moscow’s attacks haven’t stopped.
“I’ve said that a few times and I’ve been disappointed because I’d have a great call with him and then missiles would be lobbed into Kyiv or some other place,” he said.
Mr Trump said he will tell Mr Putin “you’ve got to end this war, you’ve got to end it,” but that “it’s not up to me” to make a deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin is set to meet Donald Trump in Alaska. Pic: Reuters
Zelenskyy says Russia ‘wants to buy time’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia “wants to buy time, not end the war”.
“It is obvious that the Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war,” he wrote in a post on X, after a phone call with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pic: Reuters
“The situation on the battlefield and Russia’s wicked strikes on civilian infrastructure and ordinary people prove this clearly.”
Mr Zelenskyy said the two “agreed that no decisions concerning Ukraine’s future and the security of our people can be made without Ukraine’s participation”, just as “there can be no decisions without clear security guarantees”.
Sanctions against Russia must remain in force and be “constantly strengthened,” he added.
European leaders meet ahead of call with Trump
Meanwhile, European officials have been holding meetings ahead of a phone call with Mr Trump on Wednesday.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has been speaking to foreign ministers virtually, saying on X that work “on more sanctions against Russia, more military support for Ukraine and more support for Ukraine’s budgetary needs and accession process to join the EU” is under way.
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‘Russians want to carry on fighting’
Over the weekend, European leaders released a joint statement, welcoming Mr Trump’s “work to stop the killing in Ukraine”.
“We are convinced that only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed,” read the statement.
It was signed by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“We underline our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” they said.
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Attacks continue
Despite Donald Trump’s efforts to convince Vladimir Putin to commit to a ceasefire and negotiations, Russian attacks on Ukraine have only intensified in the past few months.
Ukraine’s president has said that, in the past week, Russia launched more than 1,000 air bombs, nearly 1,400 drones and multiple missile strikes on Ukraine.
On 9 July, Russia carried out its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, launching more than 740 drones and missiles, breaking its records from previous weeks.
Furthermore, Mr Zelenskyy has said Russia is preparing for new offensives.
And then there were two.
It will be a Trump-Putin bilateral summit in Alaska.
Ukraine latest: Trump details talks with Putin
The US president has ruled out a trilateral meeting including Volodymyr Zelenskyy and is framing the talks as low stakes.
He described it as a “feel out” meeting “to see what the parameters” are, and stressed “it’s not up to me to make a deal.”
A strategic preemption perhaps, setting expectations low, and preparing the public for failure.
But he remains wedded to the notion that “land swapping” will shape any deal to end the war in Ukraine.
“Good stuff” and “bad stuff” for both sides, he said, positioning himself as the pragmatic mediator between the two.
He expressed irritation with Mr Zelenskyy’s assertion that he doesn’t have the constitutional power to concede land, though did say he hopes to get “prime territory” back for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not be attending the summit. Pic: AP
The dealmaker-in-chief
Mr Trump promised to brief the Ukrainian president and European leaders immediately after his meeting with Mr Putin.
And he voiced confidence in his ability to quickly assess the potential for a deal, boasting his business acumen.
“At the end of the meeting, probably the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,” he said.
Asked how he would know, he replied: “That’s what I do, make deals.”
Members of his cabinet nodded in approval.
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Putin ‘wants war to be over’
A law-and-order crackdown in the US capital seems timed to bolster his diplomatic stance.
He branded crime in Washington “a national emergency”, took federal control of police and deployed the National Guard.
It may seem strange that Mr Trump is talking about “taking back” Washington, ahead of a rare summit with Mr Putin.
But he’s positioning himself as bold and uncompromising before he faces a man deemed bold and uncompromising.
A telling gaffe
And he conflated the two, saying: “This is a tragic emergency, and I’m going to see Putin, I’m going to Russia on Friday.”
He isn’t going to Russia. He’s going to Alaska. But that gaffe revealed how central Mr Putin is to his narrative, even domestically.
Vladimir Putin has been reluctant to meet his Ukrainian counterpart. Pic: Sputnik/Reuters
Mr Putin wants to lock in the gains Russia has made since invading Ukraine, while Mr Trump presses for a ceasefire.
But it’s hard to envisage any ice-breaking peace deal emerging from Friday’s summit in Alaska.
How could there be when Mr Zelenskyy is out in the cold?
For now, this is a Trump-Putin power play.
Donald Trump has announced he is going to deploy National Guard troops to Washington DC to make the US capital’s streets safer.
At a White House news conference on Monday, the president said the city’s police would come under federal control as he said the murder rate in DC was “higher than” in some of the “worst places on earth”.
He said he was sending in the troops to “re-establish law, order, and public safety”.
Members of the National Guard outside the US Capitol. File Pic: AP
Mr Trump said he was announcing a “historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.
“This is liberation day in DC and we are going to take our capital back.”
The president continued: “So today we are declaring a public safety emergency in the district of Columbia.”
He added it is not just about safety but also the “beautification” of the city.
“Washington DC should be one of the safest, cleanest and most beautiful cities anywhere in the world and we’re going to make it that.”
Last week, the Republican president directed federal law enforcement agencies to increase their presence in Washington for seven days, with the option “to extend as needed”.
A member of the National Guard patrols the area outside of the US Capitol in 2021.
File pic: AP
On Friday night, federal agencies including the Secret Service, the FBI and the US Marshals Service assigned more than 120 officers and agents to assist in Washington.
National Guard troops usually belong to individual states and personnel in many cases are trained to help with emergencies that those states have to deal with, such as natural disasters.
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Since they are the reserve force of the US military, National Guard troops are usually part-time, meaning that they have other jobs as well.
Minority leader of the US House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, responded to Mr Trump’s announcement on Monday with a post on X which read: “Violent crime in Washington, DC is at a thirty-year low.
“Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. And zero credibility on the issue of law and order.
“Get lost.”
In a social media post on Sunday, Mr Trump emphasised the removal of Washington’s homeless population, though it was unclear where the thousands of people would go.
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“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” Mr Trump wrote.
“We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
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