{"id":79257,"date":"2025-01-02T16:21:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T16:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2025\/01\/02\/new-orleans-attack-suspect-identified-as-army-vet-inspired-by-isis\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:47:10","slug":"new-orleans-attack-suspect-identified-as-army-vet-inspired-by-isis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2025\/01\/02\/new-orleans-attack-suspect-identified-as-army-vet-inspired-by-isis\/","title":{"rendered":"New Orleans attack suspect identified as Army vet \u2018inspired by ISIS\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A U.S. Army veteran from Texas, driving a truck adorned with a flag of the Islamic State, rammed into a crowd of New Year\u2019s revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday morning, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspect in the deadly rampage, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was shot dead at the scene during an exchange of gunfire with police. Weapons and a potential improvised explosive device, or IED, were found in Jabbar\u2019s truck, the FBI said. Other potential IEDs were found around the city\u2019s French Quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Joe Biden confirmed Wednesday night that Jabbar had served in the U.S. military. According an Army spokesperson, Jabbar was on active duty from March 2007 until January 2015 as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A photo of Shamsud-Din Jabbar provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After leaving active duty, Jabbar joined the Army Reserve, where he worked as an IT specialist until July 2020, the spokesperson said. He held the rank of staff sergeant at the end of his military career. During his time in the military, Jabbar was awarded three Army Commendation Medals and four Army Achievement Medals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FBI is investigating the murders as an act of terrorism and working to learn of Jabbar\u2019s affiliations with terrorist organizations, Attorney General Merrick Garland said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hours before the attack, Jabbar posted videos on social media expressing a desire to kill, Biden said during a public address about the attack. The videos indicated \u201che was inspired by ISIS,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe situation is very fluid, and the investigation is at a preliminary stage,\u201d Biden said. \u201cThe law enforcement and intelligence community is continuing to look for any connections, affiliations or co-conspirators.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rampage adds to a list of extremist attacks carried out by people with military backgrounds since 1990. The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, or START, keeps a database of such attacks<\/a>. Of the veterans and service members who were driven by extremist ideologies to commit crimes, 15% were connected to foreign Islamist extremist organizations, the data says.<\/p>\n\n\n\t