Forty-two-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar has been identified as the suspect in the January 1 New Orleans truck attack which killed 15 people and injured dozens of others.

Advertisment

Jabbar was a US Army veteran with a service record of 13 years. Hours before the attack, he had posted videos on social media that he was inspired by the Islamic State and expressed a desire to kill. The accused was killed by the police after he exited the truck and opened fire on responding officers.

Also read | Sugar Bowl postponed by a day over deadly truck-ramming New Orleans attack

However, another video featuring Jabbar has been circulating online where the 42-year-old advertises himself as a real estate agent, a report by the news agency Reuters on Thursday (Jan 2) said.

Advertisment

'Good evening, I'm Shamsud-Din Jabbar...'

In the video, Jabbar introduces himself as property manager with Blue Meadow Properties and team lead at the Midas Group at Core Realty.

"So I'm born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and now live in Houston, and I've been here all my life, with the exception of travelling for the military, where I spent ten years as a human resources specialist and 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," Jabbar said.

Advertisment

Here's a look at the video (Source- X@Megatron_ron)

"So 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, one be a fierce negotiator. So not only do I brilliantly market your property to make sure it gets sold as quickly as possible or gets leased as quickly as possible, but I'm also going to take every ounce of energy and putting it into negotiating for you and for your property to get the best deal that you can possibly get for it," he added.

"So, once we get to the closing table, all the I's are going to be dotted, all the T's are going to be crossed, everything's going to go off without a hitch. And that is my word and I give to you as your real estate agent,” the man further said.

It is not yet known when this video was taken.

Flags of ISIS found inside truck

As an investigation began into the attack, authorities found guns and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle — which bore the flag of ISIS — along with other explosive devices elsewhere in the city’s famed French Quarter.

Also read | New Orleans truck attack: Biden says Shamsud-Din Jabbar posted ISIS-inspired videos hours before rampage

Wednesday's attack in New Orleans was the latest example of a vehicle being used as a weapon to carry out mass violence and the deadliest ISIS-inspired assault on American soil in years.

Accused's brother blames radicalisation for attack

Jabbar's brother Abdur said that radicalisation was to blame for the 42-year-old's rampage. Speaking to the New York Times (NYT), Abdur said that his brother converted to Islam at an early age.

Abdur also told NYT that what his brother "did does not represent Islam. This is some type of radicalisation, not religion."

He described Shamsud-Din Jabbar as a nice guy, really smart, and caring.

(With inputs from agencies)