What We Know About New Orleans Terror Suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar

January 1, 2025 @ 2:46 PM

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the New Orleans terror suspect who died in a shootout with police after allegedly killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens more in a vehicular New Year’s attack, had had previous run-ins with police.

On Wednesday, the FBI issued a statement confirming that 42-year-0ld was a U.S. citizen, that the truck was a rental, that an ISIS flag was on the vehicle and that IEDs and weapons were in the vehicle.

Newsweek reported that the Houston, Texas, resident, a former U.S. Army reservist, was charged with misdemeanor theft in 2002 and driving with a suspended license in 2005. The outlet also reported that one of his two wives obtained a temporary restraining order against him, but no date is mentioned.

A new FBI statement confirms details on the New Orleans attack:

– Suspect is 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar
– U.S. citizen
– Ford truck was rented
– ISIS flag was on the vehicle
– IEDs and weapons were in the vehicle pic.twitter.com/1Wgd6b17gN

— AG (@AGHamilton29) January 1, 2025

Little is known about Jabbar’s politics, except that he was registered as a Democrat in 2012, when he lived in North Carolina. His Texas voter registration has no party affiliation, according to Newsweek.

FBI special agent Alethea Duncan said on Wednesday that investigators “do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible” for the attack. “We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates,” she added.

According to CBS News, the FBI is examining surveillance video to see if Jabbar had accomplices who helped him place IEDs on the scene. The Associated Press reported that footage showed three men and a woman placing the explosives.

Jabbar was declared dead after exchanging gunfire with the New Orleans Police Department, according to an official statement. Two officers were hit by gunfire but were listed as being in stable condition. 

Although Jabbar’s LinkedIn page has since been deleted, portions of if have been shared on social media, as has a video, in which Jabbar identifies himself as a property manager at Blue Meadow Homes of Howe, Texas, which appears to be part of The Midas Group.

TheWrap reached out to the company and has not been able to verify the veracity of the video, although Newsweek reported that it dates back to 2020.

Politico journalist Jacqueline Sweet shared “ghost remnants” to X from Jabbar’s LinkedIn profile before it was deleted. His current job was listed as “Information Technology Team Chief at U.S. Army Reserve,” with past jobs including “Data Entry Clerk at United States Postal Service.”

According to Sweet, Jabbar earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Georgia State University and graduated from Fort Gordon NCO Academy with a Bachelor’s Degree.

Following the deadly attack, the Sugar Bowl, which is traditionally held in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, was postponed to Thursday.