42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar was an Army veteran and twice-divorced father who lived on Hugh Road in north Harris County.
PASADENA, Texas — The man responsible for the deadly New Orleans terror attack was a Houston resident who lived in a modest neighborhood in north Harris County.
According to the FBI, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar was driving a Ford pickup when he plowed through Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens more. He also shot and wounded two officers before police killed him in a shootout.
The truck was rented from a man in Pasadena, near Houston, through the Turo app.
What we know right now
- FBI investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, believes Jabbar did not act alone
- Islamic State group flag found on pickup trailer hitch after it plowed through crowds on Bourbon Street
- Pipe bombs discovered hidden in coolers in the vehicle wired for remote detonation
- Additional potential explosive devices located in the French Quarter
- Surveillance footage shows three men and a woman placing improvised explosive device
- Handgun and AR-style rifle recovered in Jabbar’s pickup after shootout
- Attack represents latest example of vehicle used as weapon for mass violence
- A barrier system designed to prevent vehicle attacks was undergoing repairs in preparation for the Super Bowl, which is being played in New Orleans in February.
- House on Mandeville in New Orleans that was raided by police is the suspected rental used by Jabbar. Authorities confiscated items there, including suspected explosives and/or bomb-making material.
- If confirmed as ISIS-inspired, it would be the deadliest such assault on U.S. soil in years
FBI, Harris County deputies surround home
According to public records, his most recent address is on Hugh Road near Crescent Peak Drive in north Harris County.
Local and federal law enforcement swarmed the home hours after the attack and FBI agents planned to search it Wednesday night after getting a federal warrant.
The FBI in Houston released the following update Wednesday night.
“FBI Houston and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are continuing a court-authorized search of a location near the intersection of Hugh Road and Crescent Peak Drive. At this time, no arrests have been made and FBI personnel will be at the scene for several more hours. We are asking members of the public to continue to avoid the area and a temporary flight restriction has been implemented. Throughout this operation, we have deployed specialized teams including our FBI SWAT team, Crisis Negotiators, Special Agent Bomb Technicians, Tactical Operations Center, Evidence Response Team, and a group of counterterrorism investigators. We are grateful for the substantial assistance provided by our partners at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Since this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide any more information at this time. However, we encourage anyone with information related to the New Orleans attack to submit tips online at www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetattack or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
KHOU 11’s Katiera Winfrey was there when an HCSO SWAT team arrived in tactical gear and vehicles.
Some neighbors said the home is a rental property with multiple mobile homes parked there. Most of them didn’t recognize Jabbar but one man described him as a “normal, simple person.”
Jabbar grew up in Beaumont before joining Army
Jabbar was a U.S. citizen and native Texan who grew up in Beaumont.
KHOU 11’s sister station in Beaumont, KBMT, reports that Jabbar graduated from Central High School in 2001. A classmate described him as “well respected” and said he was stunned to learn he was behind the attack.
“He was well respected, carried himself well and I mean you just wouldn’t think that he would do something like this,” Mike Roach told KBMT.
Court records show Jabbar was charged with two misdemeanors after high school.
According to CNN, Jabbar served in the Army for over a decade as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010, an Army spokesperson told CNN.
He was on active duty until 2015 and served in the Army Reserve until 2020.
He had a brief career in real estate but his license expired in 2021.
More recently, Jabbar worked for Deloitte, which provides audit, tax and consulting services. Deloitte Managing Director Jonathan Gandal sent KHOU 11 the following statement Wednesday night.
“We are shocked to learn of reports today that the individual identified as a suspect had any association with our firm. The named individual served in a staff-level role since being hired in 2021. Like everyone, we are outraged by this shameful and senseless act of violence and are doing all we can to assist authorities in their investigation.”
Did the attacker work alone?
The FBI said an ISIS flag was located in the vehicle used in the attack and they are working to determine the suspect’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.
President Joe Biden said Jabbar posted a video on social media indicating he was inspired by ISIS and expressed a “desire to kill.”
Other U.S. officials who were briefed on videos posted by Jabbar told CNN that he referenced several dreams he had that told him to join the terrorist group.
“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said at a news conference.
The Associated Press reported that investigators have reviewed a video showing three men and a woman placing an improvised explosive device in connection with the attack.
Weapons and a potential IED were found in Jabbar’s vehicle and other potential IEDs were located in the French Quarter.
According to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin, the pipe bombs were concealed within coolers. Both devices were wired for remote detonation, and a corresponding remote control was discovered inside the suspect’s truck.
Divorce records reveal Jabbar had financial issues
In 2020, a judge issued a temporary restraining order against Jabbar at the request of his estranged wife. The couple had at least one child before they divorced.
Officials told CNN that Jabbar made reference to his divorce in videos and said he planned to gather his family for a “celebration” before killing them but changed his mind and decided to join ISIS instead.
Divorce records show that in January 2022, Shamsud-Din Jabbar was $27,000 behind on house payments.
“I have exhausted all means of bringing the loan current other than a loan modification, leaving us no alternative but to sell the house or allow it to go into foreclosure,” he wrote in an email to his now-ex-wife’s attorney.
The divorce was finalized in September 2024.
Jabbar’s first marriage also ended in divorce.
His businesses were struggling, too. One, Blue Meadow Properties LLC, lost about $28,000 over the previous year. Two others he started, Jabbar Real Estate Holdings LLC and BDQ L3C, weren’t worth anything.
What we know about the truck used
A man connected to the truck used in the deadly attack on Bourbon Street told KHOU 11 that the vehicle had been rented via an app.
An executive with Turo confirmed that their app was used and said they are cooperating with the FBI.
“We are heartbroken to learn that one of our host’s vehicles was involved in this awful incident,” Webb said in an email. “We are actively partnering with the FBI. We are not currently aware of anything in this guest’s background that would have identified him as a trust and safety threat to us at the time of the reservation.”
FBI is asking for your help
The FBI is seeking information, including photos and videos related to the attack on Bourbon Street. Visit their site to upload videos and photos.