Allegedly in debt

New Orleans attacker was an ex-soldier and real estate agent

(Bild: x.com/alexsalvinews)

On Thursday night, the details of the identity of the attacker in New Orleans (USA) were clarified: the man who drove a pick-up truck into a party mile and killed ten people was 42-year-old US citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar. He was from Texas and worked there as a real estate agent. He was apparently formerly a soldier in the US Army, where he served as an IT specialist for ten years.

In a video published on YouTube four years ago in which he offered his real estate services, Jabbar praised himself as a "tough negotiator".

Criminal records published by the New York Times show that he was charged twice with offenses: in 2002 for theft and in 2005 for driving without a valid license.

According to the newspaper, Jabbar was married twice, with his second marriage ending in divorce in 2022.

Debts after divorce
During the divorce proceedings, he described his financial problems to his wife's lawyer in an email. "I can't afford the house payments," he wrote, according to the NYT. His real estate company had made a loss of more than 28,000 dollars in the previous year. He also had thousands of dollars in credit card debt due to legal fees.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar (42)

(Bild: AFP)

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reports that Jabbar graduated from Georgia State University.

In the YouTube video, which was seen by AFP but later deleted from the platform, Jabbar stated that he had served in the US military as an IT specialist for a decade. Through that experience, he said, he developed an understanding of good service and of paying attention to everything "to make sure everything runs smoothly."

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has since confirmed at least that Jabbar was a US soldier and was apparently honorably discharged.

New Orleans is one of the most popular travel destinations in the USA. The police were deployed in large numbers at the turn of the year. Many New Year's Eve parties were held in the French Quarter, including LGBTQ parties and a travesty show.

(Bild: AFP/Matthew Hinton)

This white pick-up truck became the murder weapon.

(Bild: x.com/alexsalvinews)

Shot dead by police
At least ten people were killed and more than 35 injured in the attack in New Orleans on New Year's Eve. The perpetrator had driven his pick-up truck into a celebrating crowd in the French Quarter. He died during a gun battle with the police.

"Fiercely determined to cause carnage"
Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said he had tried to "run over as many people as possible". He had been "hell-bent" on causing "carnage" and had driven the vehicle into the crowd at "very high speed" and apparently "very deliberately".

A flag of the jihadist militia Islamic State was found in his car. Investigators speak of a "terrorist act" and assume that the perpetrator did not act alone.