Shamsud Din Jabbar: Everything we know about suspected New Orleans terrorist

A New Year’s celebration in New Orleans was interrupted when a terrorist slammed into a crowd of revelers, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more.

The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street when a suspect rammed into a crowd. More than 30 others were injured in the attack and have been transported to hospitals. Police warn the death toll could change as more information is received.

The FBI is investigating the incident “as an act of terrorism” and say it was carried out by 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar. Authorities say he had an ISIS flag on his truck as he plowed into the crowd, according to reports. Details about his life and background are starting to be revealed as investigators search for information about what led to the attack.

Here’s everything we know about the tragedy.

What happened?

The suspect exhibited “very intentional behavior” when he plowed into a crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street, just hours into the new year, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said at a press conference.

“This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” she said.

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He evaded the city’s barriers and patrol cars. “This particular terrorist drove around onto the sidewalk and got around the hard target. We did have a car there. We had barriers there. We had officers there. And they still got around,” she said later in the day.

After crashing into the crowd, he exited his vehicle and fired at police officers, striking two. Both officers are in stable condition, Kirkpatrick said.

Law enforcement returned fire and the suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene, the FBI said.

On Wednesday evening, the New Orleans coroner announced that 15 people have died, while more than 30 were injured. Most of the wounded individuals were taken to University Medical Center, while others were sent to Touro Hospital, East Jefferson General Hospital, Ochsner Medical Center Jefferson Campus, or Ochsner Baptist Campus, police said.

Most victims appeared to be locals, not tourists, police said.

“He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick added.

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Who was the driver?

The FBI identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas.

“He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which appears to have been rented and we are working to confirm how the subject came into possession of the vehicle,” the agency said in a Wednesday afternoon statement.

Officials recovered weapons and a potential explosive device inside the vehicle as well as an ISIS flag, which the FBI “is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” the statement read.

Other potential IEDs were located in the French Quarter and rendered safe.

Law enforcement reportedly recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle, sources told the Associated Press.

What was the suspect’s background?

Information about the suspect’s background is still emerging, but law enforcement confirmed he was an Army veteran.

“We believe he was honorably discharged, but we are working through this process, figuring out all this information,” Alethea Duncan, FBI assistant special agent in charge, said at the Wednesday afternoon press conference.

An Army spokesperson later confirmed to ABC that Jabbar served in human resources and information technology roles in the Army from 2007 to 2015, during which he deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.

He continued as an IT specialist in the Army Reserve from 2015 to 2020, the spokesperson said. His listed jobs were not direct combat roles.

The suspect had earlier enlisted in the Navy, in August 2024, though he never went to boot camp and was discharged from the delayed entry program one month later, according to a Navy spokesperson.

In a YouTube video posted in 2020, Jabbar says he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and spent a decade working in the U.S. military before becoming a Realtor in the Houston area.

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Public records suggest he was involved in consulting and real estate. Court records also indicate he was divorced.

In an August 2022 court document, seen by The Independent, the suspect said that he worked at Deloitte, earning $10,000 a month, or $120,000 a year.

But earlier that year, according to the New York Times, the suspect alluded to his financial issues in an email, claiming he owed over $27,000 in late home payments and was at risk of foreclosure. Because he needed to hire a lawyer and pay living expenses, he said he had taken on $16,000 in credit card debt, the outlet reported.

Later in the day Wednesday, the FBI said they don’t think the suspect acted alone.

“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates,” an official said at an afternoon press conference.

What was the motive?

The motive behind the mass killing is not yet known. The FBI said it is investigating the incident “as an act of terrorism.”

In its statement, the agency said: “The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”

“Whether it was a terrorist or Joe Blow … from whatever, Louisiana, what they done was horrible. They devastated so many lives,” said Shirell Jackson, 47, the cousin of one of the victims.

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What condition are the victims in?

The condition of the dozens of victims is not immediately clear.

The two officers who were struck by gunfire were in stable condition and are being treated, Kirkpatrick said.

Three of the individuals who were killed have been identified so far as Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, an 18-year-old who traveled to New Orleans from Gulfport with her cousin and friend to celebrate the New Year, 28-year-old Tiger Bech, a former Princeton football player, and Reggie Hunter, a 37-year-old Baton Rouge father of two.

Jackson described Hunter, her cousin, as a doting father to his sons, ages 11 and one, and an “awesome person” with a “big heart.” “He just didn’t deserve this,” Jackson told NBC.

She added: “I wish the mom who I’ve seen at the hospital wasn’t crying … I don’t even know the lady. She was crying because her daughter was dead,. Another Black couple, their son was dead.”