Military Record Reveals Texas Suspect’s Background in New Orleans Terror Attack

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the Texas man named by the FBI as the suspect in the New Orleans terror attack that killed 15 people, served in the US Army for 13 years. From March 2007 until July 2020, Jabbar worked as a Human Resource Specialist (42A) and then as an Information Technology (IT) Specialist (25B). He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010 and was discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Jabbar's military awards include three Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, and various other accolades, including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a campaign star and the NATO Medal. Despite temporarily enlisting in the Navy's delayed entry program in 2004, he did not attend boot camp and was released one month later.

The FBI is still investigating Jabbar's ties to terrorist organizations, with an ISIS flag discovered in the leased pickup truck used in the attack. Weapons and suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also discovered on the scene in New Orleans' French Quarter.

Authorities suspect Jabbar might not have acted alone. "We are aggressively pursuing every lead, including those tied to his known associates," said Althea Duncan, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's New Orleans field office.

Investigators are requesting anyone with information about Jabbar's activities or interactions to come forward, as communities in Texas and Louisiana try to piece together the horrific events surrounding the attack.

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