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 army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
The FBI said he was a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas. Talking about himself in a work video in 2020, Jabbar said he was born and raised in the state.
Fourteen people were killed in the suspected terror attack, while about 30 more were injured.
New Orleans attack – follow latest
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 people celebrating the New Year in 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 a stable condition following the attack, she added.
Jabbar died in firefight
Jabbar was killed in a firefight with police following the attack, which happened at about 3.15am local time (9.15am UK time) on Wednesday, New Year’s Day.
The bureau said the truck appeared to have been rented.
It also said an IS 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.
Jabbar posted five videos on his social media accounts before the rampage, the FBI said.
In his first clip, he said he was initially planning to harm his own family and friends, but was concerned news headlines would not focus on the “war between the believers and disbelievers”, said Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division.
Jabbar also stated that he had joined Islamic State (IS) “before this summer”, and provided a will, the counter-terrorism investigator added.
He also posted several videos on the evening of 31 December proclaiming his support for IS.
The FBI has been reviewing two laptops found at Jabbar’s home during a search, as well as three mobile phones.
Read more:
First victims named
How the atrocity unfolded
Jabbar was an 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 and 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.
Possible links to Las Vegas explosion
Just hours after the attack in New Orleans, a rented Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas.
One person inside the vehicle died and seven others suffered minor injuries.
FBI officials and Las Vegas sheriffs on Thursday said they believe the man driving the rented car was 37-year-old US army soldier Matthew Livelsberger, from Colorado, although this was still to be officially confirmed through DNA.
Speaking during a news conference in Las Vegas, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said his force was “not ruling out” links between the two incidents – despite the FBI earlier appearing to downplay any possible connection, saying there was “no definitive link” at this stage during a separate news conference in New Orleans a few hours earlier.
“It’s an interesting thing in these kind of investigations that, if these turn out to be simply similarities, (they are) very strange similarities to have,” Mr McMahill said.
Both Jabbar and Livelsberger had served at a base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a centre in North Carolina that is home to special forces command.
Law enforcement officers were also looking into the fact both men used the Turo car app to rent the vehicles involved 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.
US
Trump issues Gaza ceasefire ultimatum to Hamas as he warns ‘all hell is going to break out’ if hostages not returned
Donald Trump says the Gaza ceasefire should be cancelled if all remaining Israeli hostages are not returned by noon on Saturday – as he warned Hamas that “all hell is going to break out”.
The US president’s intervention came hours after Hamas has said it will delay the release of more hostages and accused Israel of violating their ceasefire deal.
While signing a series of new executive orders, Mr Trump said he feared many Israeli hostages scheduled for release are already dead.
Referring to his Saturday deadline for the release of hostages, Mr Trump said: “If they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.”
He acknowledged that a decision to end the ceasefire was up to Israel, adding: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”
Hours earlier, Mr Trump said Palestinians would not have the right to return under his plan for US “ownership” of Gaza – contradicting officials in his administration who said they would be relocated temporarily.
Trump latest: ‘Palestinians will have no right to Gaza return’
Widespread destruction seen in Gaza City. Pic: AP
Hamas halts release of hostages
Earlier on Monday, Hamas claimed ceasefire violations had included “delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, and targeting them with shelling and gunfire”.
Spokesman Abu Obeida said Hamas remained committed if Israel kept to the terms, but that the 15 February handover was postponed “until the occupation commits to and compensates for the past weeks”.
Egyptian security sources told Reuters that mediators now fear the deal will break down.
They said Hamas believes Israel isn’t serious about the ceasefire – which began on 19 January.
The last hostage release took place at the weekend and saw three Israeli men set free. Five Thai citizens released last month were also finally reunited with their families in Bangkok.
They were among about 250 people taken during the 7 October 2023 attack, when 1,200 people were murdered.
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Tears as Thai hostages return home
Five swaps have taken place so far, with 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners released.
Saturday’s exchange was due to involve three more Israelis and hundreds of Palestinians.
Defence minister Israel Katz said any delay in releasing hostages would be “a complete violation” and he had instructed troops to be on highest alert.
The Hostages and Missing Family Forum called on mediating countries to restore the deal, saying “time is of the essence” and citing “the shocking conditions of the hostages released last Saturday”.
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As part of the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back from a key passage through Gaza on Sunday.
The four-mile-long Netzarim corridor separates northern Gaza from the south, and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have now crossed back over.
However, Israel pushed back the withdrawal by a few days in protest at the chaotic release of hostages Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses.
This may be what Hamas is referencing what it talks of “delaying the return of the displaced”.
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Palestinians return to destroyed Netzarim
There have also been examples of Israeli troops shooting at or near Palestinians approaching Israeli forces after being warned to stay back.
So far, little progress has been made on an extension to the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.
A delegation from Israel has arrived in Qatar for further talks amid concern the deal might collapse before all remaining hostages are freed.
Israel has previously said it will not agree to a complete withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas’s military and political capabilities are eliminated.
Hamas has countered that it will not hand over the final hostages until Israel removes all its troops from Gaza.
Donald Trump has signed two proclamations imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the US.
A proclamation is a form of presidential directive to government officials, but they do not carry the force of law, as an executive order would.
However the White House has said the tariffs will take effect from 4 March.
“This is a big deal,” Mr Trump said in the Oval Office as he announced the tariffs. “The beginning of making America rich again.”
He added: “We were being pummelled by both friend and foe alike.”
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‘We were being pummelled by both friend and foe alike,’ said the US president
The proclamations mean the president has now removed the exceptions and exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on steel to allow for all imports of the metal to be taxed at 25%.
The new tariff on aluminium is also much higher than the 10% duty he imposed on the material in his first term.
The tariffs are part of an aggressive push by Mr Trump to reset global trade, as he claims that price hikes on the people and companies buying foreign-made products will ultimately strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Outside economic analyses suggest the tariffs would increase costs for the factories that use steel and aluminium, possibly leaving US manufacturers worse off.
Canada, the largest source of steel imports to the US, criticised the move.
Candace Laing, CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said Mr Trump was destabilising the global economy.
“Today’s news makes it clear that perpetual uncertainty is here to stay,” she said.
Hard to see how tariffs won’t be inflationary
At least part of the idea behind tariffs is to bring some production back to the US, but imposing them will have consequences.
What kinds of consequences? Well, at its simplest, tariffs push up prices. This is, when you think about it, blindingly obvious.
A tariff is a tax on a good entering the country.
So if aluminium and steel are going up in price then that means, all else equal, that the cost of making everything from aircraft wings to steel rivets also goes up.
That in turn means consumers end up paying the price – and if a company can’t make ends meet in the face of these tariffs, it means job losses – possibly within the very industrial sectors the president wants to protect.
So says the economic theory. But in practice, economics isn’t everything.
There are countless examples throughout history of countries defying economic logic in search of other goals.
Perhaps they want to improve their national self-reliance in a given product; perhaps they want to ensure certain jobs in cherished areas or industries are protected.
But nothing comes for free, and even if Donald Trump’s tariffs succeed in persuading domestic producers to smelt more aluminium or steel, such things don’t happen overnight.
In the short run, it’s hard to see how these tariffs wouldn’t be significantly inflationary.
Trump’s war of tariffs
Mr Trump’s proclamations come days after the US imposed a 10% tariff on all goods imported from China.
In return, China imposed 10% tariffs on American crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars and pickup trucks.
There will also be 15% tariffs on coal and liquefied natural gas from the US.
US plans to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada were paused after agreements were reached on border security.
Mexico’s president said she was sending 10,000 National Guard troops to the US border immediately in return for a tariff delay.
Mr Trump said the Mexican soldiers would be “specifically designated” to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US, as well as illegal migrants.
Meanwhile, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said almost 10,000 frontline personnel “are and will be working on protecting the border”.
He added that his country was appointing a “fentanyl czar”, drug cartels would be listed as terrorists, and there would be “24/7 eyes on the border”.
Donald Trump has said Palestinians would have no right to return to Gaza under his proposal to relocate its population and rebuild the Strip.
The president last week debuted his suggestion to “own” Gaza and shut out Hamas while it’s redeveloped, but has now contradicted officials who had said any relocation would be temporary.
Asked by Fox News if Palestinians could return, he replied: “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing. In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”
Trump latest: President signs more executive orders
Speaking on Monday at the White House, Mr Trump also suggested the current ceasefire in Gaza should end on Saturday if Hamas does not release hostages as planned.
He then went further, saying all the remaining hostages should be released by midday on Saturday, or the ceasefire should be cancelled – and that “all hell is going to break out” if the hostages are not freed then.
But the US president added: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”
Hamas said earlier it would delay the release of hostages – accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.
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‘I would own this’ – Trump on Gaza
Mr Trump told Fox News his future vision for Gaza was to build multiple “safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is”, adding the area is currently “not habitable”.
He said he believed he could cut a deal with Jordan or Egypt to take people in.
However, Arab allies – including Egypt and Saudi Arabia – have dismissed the idea of relocating Gaza’s two-million-plus population.
Western countries have also rejected the proposal; an independent state for Palestinians remains the favoured way forward but is a no-go for the Israeli government.
When asked in the media, Palestinians have also rubbished the idea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported Mr Trump’s controversial proposal.
Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Pic: Reuters
Much of Gaza lies in ruins due to Israel‘s attempt to wipe out Hamas after its 2023 terror attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel.
About 250 were also kidnapped, but those still alive have started to be released in recent weeks after a hard-won truce took effect last month.
Since the ceasefire began on 19 January, five swaps have taken place – with 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages released.
In total, Israel has said it will release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners in return for 33 Israeli hostages during the deal’s first phase.
Read more:
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So far, little progress has been made on an extension to the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.
A delegation from Israel has arrived in Qatar for further talks amid concern the deal might collapse before all remaining hostages are freed.
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