Two days after a person drove a rented truck right into a crowd of revelers on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, killing a minimum of 14 individuals earlier than he was killed in a shootout with police, his household is offering extra particulars about his life earlier than the assault.
The driver, recognized by officers as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was a U.S.-born citizen from Texas and an Army veteran who legislation enforcement sources say was armed with an AR-15-style weapon and handgun. He additionally planted two improvised explosive gadgets or IEDs, however these have been discovered and neutralized by legislation enforcement. When he drove by way of the group, he had an ISIS flag on the truck’s trailer hitch and had posted movies to social media within the hours and minutes earlier than the assault declaring his support for the terrorist organization. The assault is being investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism.
His youthful brother Abdur-Rahim Jabbar, 24, informed CBS News that he and Jabbar weren’t shut rising up, due to their giant age hole, however had bonded in 2023 as they cared for his or her father after he had a stroke. Abdur-Rahim Jabbar had observed his brother changing into extra outwardly spiritual however stated he noticed nothing to recommend his brother was being radicalized.
“This all simply caught everyone fully without warning,” Abdur-Rahim Jabbar stated.
Jabbar picture supplied by FBI; Background picture: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images/Getty Images
Abdur-Rahim Jabbar stated his brother had not too long ago gone by way of an costly divorce. It was his third divorce, in line with court docket data. His first marriage resulted in 2012, along with his ex-wife gaining custody of their two youngsters. He was married once more from 2013 to 2016, and married his third spouse in 2017. The couple had one baby and divorced in 2022.
In divorce filings, Jabbar stated his month-to-month bills, together with baby help for his first two youngsters, exceeded his earnings. A pay stub from 2022 exhibits Jabbar was incomes about $125,000 a 12 months from his job at Deloitte. The firm confirmed he had been employed there in 2021. His then-wife additionally accused him of monetary mismanagement, together with giving cash to different lovers, in a separate court docket submitting. During these divorce proceedings, Jabbar’s spouse obtained a short lived restraining order in opposition to him.
Abdur-Rahim Jabbar stated whereas they cared for his or her father, his brother “was a robust proponent of marriage staying collectively.” He stated his brother additionally informed him he had dropped “habits” like ingesting, medicine and intercourse exterior of marriage. His method of costume additionally turned extra modest, Abdur-Rahim Jabbar recalled, and he had some tattoos eliminated.
None of the modifications alarmed Abdur-Rahim Jabbar, nonetheless, and he stated he was “shocked” to listen to of his brother’s actions on New Year’s Day.
“He’d been a working towards Muslim since he was a child and all the pieces, and I feel he took a step away from faith in some unspecified time in the future in his life, after which he got here again into it,” Abdur-Rahim Jabbar stated.
FBI investigators say Shamsud-Din Jabbar shared movies on social media earlier than the assault declaring help for ISIS and saying he had initially deliberate to harm his household and associates, however “was involved the information headlines wouldn’t deal with the quote, ‘struggle between the believers and the disbelievers,’ finish quote,” deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division Christopher Raia stated at a briefing Thursday. Raia stated investigators are nonetheless making an attempt to find out why Shamsud-Din Jabbar targeted Bourbon Street.
Abdur-Rahim Jabbar stated he has met with FBI investigators. He stated additionally they requested about his brother’s demeanor and character, and if his conduct had modified not too long ago.
“None of it feels actual, however with each second somebody reaches out to me, information, media reporters, anyone, the FBI, it solidifies as being actual,” Abdur-Rahim Jabbar stated. “I can not think about what these households (of the victims) are going by way of both. I’m certain they’re grieving as a lot as I’m, as my household is.”
CBS News producer Sean Herbert contributed to this report.
