Relatives, friends saw few warning signs before suspect's New Year's Day truck attack

Shamsud-Din 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.

- Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Edgar Sandoval and Sean Keenan

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 US on New Year's Day.

In a white pickup rented in Houston, Texas, the authorities said, Jabbar rammed through a crowd of revelers at around 3 a.m. (5 p.m. in Singapore) on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 1 before opening fire, killing at least 15 people in one of the nation's worst terror attacks.

Jabbar died in a shoot-out with police, officials said.

In the truck, they found an ISIS group flag. A senior law enforcement official said Jabbar had posted several videos to his Facebook account on Dec. 31, 2024, apparently addressed to his family and recorded while he was driving, in which he "pledged allegiance to (militant group) ISIS."

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials were still trying to determine a motive for the attack, and believed Jabbar "was not solely responsible." Several improvised explosive devices were found and disposed of.

The violence appeared to explode out of nowhere to those who had known Jabbar as a smart, caring brother and a quiet, helpful neighbor. But there were also signs of growing instability in his life.

Jabbar divorced his first wife, Ms. 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.