(Reuters) – Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old Texas man accused of crashing a truck into New Year's Day celebrations in New Orleans, killing and injuring dozens, was a U.S. Army veteran who later worked in real estate, according to officials and public records.
State and local law enforcement officials in New Orleans say Jabbar didn't work alone and they're looking for accomplices. The FBI said Jabbar had an Islamic State flag on his truck and is treating the attack as a possible act of terrorism. The Islamic State, or ISIS, is a Sunni Muslim militant group that has carried out attacks around the world.
While the investigation is ongoing, so far no information has emerged to explain why Jabbar, a US citizen who was raised in Texas, might have carried out the New Orleans attack. Jabbar died at the scene in a shootout with police, officials said.
Jabbar was a US Army veteran who appeared to have been honorably discharged, FBI Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan said in a statement Wednesday. In addition to serving in the Army, Jabbar enlisted in the Navy in August 2004 under the delayed entry program but was released a month later, a Navy official told Reuters.
In a promotional video for his real estate business posted on YouTube in 2020, a man with the same name as the suspect said he worked in the military for 10 years as a social 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 a fierce negotiator,” he said, encouraging clients. to give him a call.
In the video, the man identified himself as a manager at Blue Meadow Properties LLC, a Texas company whose license expires in 2022. He was registered as a real estate agent for four years through February 2023, records show.
He was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas.
Reuters was unable to reach anyone at the number Jabbar provided in the video. Efforts to contact Jabhar's relatives were also unsuccessful.
The FBI believes Jabbar rented a Ford (NYSE: ) truck that he used to drive into a crowd in New Orleans' French quarter in the early hours of Wednesday. Jabbar then opened fire on the police, injuring 35 in addition to the ten deaths.
The ISIS flag on the truck has sparked an investigation into possible links to terrorist organizations. Investigators found weapons and an explosive device in the vehicle, as well as other potentially explosive devices in the French Quarter.
“We don't believe Jabbar is solely responsible. We are actively pursuing all leads, including known associates,” Duncan said.
(Reporting by Nathan Layne in West Palm Beach, Florida; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell)