The terrorist responsible for killing 15 people by careering a rented Ford F-150 Lightning into a crowd of New Year’s Day revellers in New Orleans described himself as “fierce” in a chilling YouTube video.
The harrowing clip resurfaced after Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, mowed the vehicle into the string of pedestrians on Bourbon Street, home to bars and restaurants in the vibrant Louisiana city. In the footage, a promotional video in which Jabbar talks about his real estate business, the IT specialist encourages clients to give him a call – but stresses he is “a fierce negotiator”.
Jabbar, who was stationed in Afghanistan with the US Army, talks about his human resources and IT attributes. He says: “I’ve taken those skills and applied them to my career as a real estate agent, where I feel like what really sets me apart from other agents is my ability to be able to… be a fierce negotiator.”
The FBI initially said it did not believe he was “solely responsible” for Wednesday’s attack, but later ruled out three other potential suspects they were looking into. It is not known if Jabbar, from Texas, worked alone or not.
Jabbar, who served in the US army on active duty from 2007 to 2015 and then in the army reserves from 2015 to 2020, also says in the video: “I just want to say hello and let you know a little bit more about me. So, I’m born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and now I live in Houston and I’ve been here all my life, except when I was travelling with the military where I spent 10 years as a human resources specialist and an IT specialist, where I learned the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, dotting i’s and crossing t’s to make sure that things go off without a hitch.”
The clip was recorded in 2020 after Jabbar’s honourable discharge from the US Army but has resurfaced on the platform following the atrocity in New Orleans. Fifteen people were killed and at least 35 injured there, authorities say. Jabbar was shot dead by police during a tense exchange of gun fire.
Among the people killed are an 18-year old woman, a 37-year-old father of two, a former football player aged just 27, and a 27-year old-mum, who has now left behind a four-year-old son to mourn her passing.
The mum, Nicole Perez, had been out with friends to celebrate the new year when she was struck by the truck. She was taken to University Hospital but later died from her injuries. Following her death, a GoFundMe page was created to help raise funds to support Nicole’s young son and family.
It read: “She was so beautiful and full of life. Her son is now without his momma, and we are without our friend and dedicated employee. I’m hoping to get some help for her burial expenses and to help her son with expenses he will need to transition into a new living situation.”
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