New Orleans Attack Suspect’s Brother Says He Showed No Signs of Radicalization
The family of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in a deadly attack that killed 15 people on New Orleans' Bourbon Street, says they are in shock as they struggle to understand how the man they knew could be tied to such a horrific act.
“He was very well-tempered, slow to anger, kind, soft-spoken,” Shamsud’s younger brother, Abdur Jabbar, shared with CNN. “That’s why it was so unbelievable that he would be capable of something like this.”
The attack, which happened just 3 hours into the new year and saw a pickup truck plow into a crowd of people at the iconic French Quarter, has left the Jabbars devastated.
Both Abdur and their father, Rahim, insist they saw no signs of radicalization or extremist beliefs. “Something screwed him up. He’s not this type of person,” Abdur said. “Someone or something fogged his mind.”
Rahim echoed the sentiment, expressing confusion about what could have led his son down such a dark path. “That’s what’s puzzling us,” he said. “He wasn’t going through something that we knew of. It’s all around bad for everybody.”
Abdur recalled the shock he felt when he saw his brother’s face on the news, identified as the suspect behind the deadly rampage. “I was shocked that somebody so close to me could cause all this destruction. I feel for those people over there — and that had to witness it.”
The family maintains that Shamsud-Din, a father of three, never hinted at financial struggles or personal turmoil that might have suggested trouble ahead.
Though the brothers were not particularly close growing up, they reconnected after their father suffered a stroke last year, speaking almost daily.
Despite their renewed bond, Abdur says their conversations never veered into extremist territory. “He never shared anything like that or of that nature with me. He understood what it meant to be a Muslim — it wasn’t anything of this nature. It wasn’t this tragedy.”
Jabbar reportedly “pledged allegiance to ISIS” in several Facebook videos uploaded the night before the attack. Explosives and additional weapons were inside the vehicle used in the attack. At this, officials believe Jabbar acted alone.
