What led this man to a brutal terror attack on one of most recognisable streets in the US?

Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar appeared to be living a quiet but dutiful life of work and faith amid Houston’s sprawling diversity: a veteran of the US army who studied information technology, converted to Islam and recently held a six-figure job.Little in his outward persona suggested someone who could be responsible for what the authorities described as a brutal terrorist attack along one of the most famous streets in the United States on New Year’s Day. (January 1).At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured in the early hours of January 1 after Jabbar drove a pickup truck into crowds in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans in Louisiana state and then opened fire before he was killed in a shootout with police.Officials called it a deliberate attack and said the 42-year-old from Texas, had the flag of the Islamic State (ISIS) group in his truck. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was investigating the episode as a potential act of terrorism.In brief remarks to reporters at Camp David, US President Joe Biden said he had been told by the FBI that the driver had posted videos on social media only hours before the attack “indicating that he was inspired by ISIS”. medium116878293How the attack unfoldedThe man sped a truck around a police car blocking Bourbon Street at about 3:15am on Wednesday and struck multiple people along the street before crashing. He then opened fire, officials said, and died after being shot by the police. Two of those injured in the attack were police officers, officials said.“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in a news conference. “He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”Investigators said they found what appeared to be improvised bombs in the truck and were trying to determine whether the devices were viable. It is not clear if any such devices were detonated.Alethea Duncan, an FBI official, did not rule out that there could be an ongoing threat, saying that agents were running down leads in an effort to try to make sure that there was no further danger.Bourbon Street is famed for its vibrant festivals and parties, including Mardi Gras, and attracts tourists from across the world year-round. “You’re talking about one of the most iconic cities, and one of the most recognisable streets in the world,” Oliver Thomas, a New Orleans City Council member, said after the attack.“So when you think about it, this isn’t really a message and a shot at New Orleans. This is at America. It’s the world and the environment we live in right now.” medium116878394US army veteran, deployed to AfghanistanThe man who drove the truck onto Bourbon Street was identified by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, a US citizen. The truck, which officials said carried the flag of the Islamic State group, held weapons as well as the improvised bombs, and potential bombs were also found elsewhere in the French Quarter, officials said.Jabbar served almost eight years in the US army and was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010, according to an army representative. He transferred to the army reserve after leaving active duty in January 2015, and then left the reserves as a staff sergeant in July 2020, the army said.In a YouTube video from 2020 that appears to have been posted by Jabbar, he spoke positively about his skills in a post-military career in real estate. He said he had been born and raised in Beaumont, Texas.“I’ve been here all my life, with the exception of traveling for the military,” he said.He said that in his 10 years in the armed forces, he had worked as a human resources specialist and an information technology specialist.The violence appeared to explode out of nowhere to those who had known Jabbar as a smart, caring brother and a quiet, helpful neighbour. But there were also signs of growing instability in his life.Jabbar divorced his first wife, Nakedra Charrlle Marsh in 2012, then struggled with adjusting to civilian life after leaving active-duty military service about a decade ago. He separated from his second wife.Dwayne Marsh, who is married to Jabbar’s ex-wife, said Jabbar had been acting erratically in recent months, “being all crazy, cutting his hair” after converting to Islam. Marsh said he and his wife stopped allowing the two daughters she shared with Jabbar, ages 15 and 20, to spend time with him.About a year ago, Jabbar moved into a rented home in a Muslim neighborhood north of Houston. On Wednesday, access to much of the neighborhood, including its local mosque, was blocked off by law enforcement.One of Jabbar’s neighbours, who was blocked from returning home during the search, said Jabbar kept to himself and usually stayed inside his home. The neighbour asked not to be named out of concern for his safety as a Muslim in the aftermath of the attack.Jabbar’s brother, Abdur Jabbar, 24, said in an interview in Beaumont, Texas, where the brothers grew up, that they last spoke two weeks ago and that his brother did not mention any plans or a desire to go to New Orleans. 116878882He said they had been brought up Christian but that his brother had long ago converted to Islam. “As far as I know he was a Muslim for most of his life,” said Abdur. “What he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalisation, not religion.”He added that his brother, who had a six-year-old son in addition to his older daughters, joined the military not knowing what he wanted to do in life. “It was a new outlet to get some sort of discipline,” Abdur said.‘No terrorist to me’Jabbar did not appear to have a history of violence. Criminal records in Texas show charges for minor infractions two decades ago — misdemeanor theft in 2002, driving with an invalid license in 2005.“He was no terrorist to me,” said Marilyn Bradford, 70, who lived upstairs from Jabbar in a Houston apartment building where he lived from 2021 until about a year ago.Before he left, she said, he gave her a dryer, a steamer and other household supplies.“I said, ‘Oh, you are giving me something to remember you by?’ He laughed, like he always did,” she said. “He was an outcast person. I was the only one he really talked to. I used to refer to him as my buddy.”Bradford said she would see him spending time on the weekend with his three children, and was always helpful. “He would ask, ‘Ma’am, do you want me to help you with that?’ He would help me carry my groceries.