New Orleans Attack Suspect Had ‘dreams’ That Inspired Him To Join ISIS. What We Know

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The suspect in the deadly New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day had “dreams” that inspired him to join ISIS and made chilling threats to kill his family, according to a report.

Authorities are reportedly reviewing disturbing videos of the suspect, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, where he discussed plans to kill his family and mentioned his divorce, according to CNN, citing two officials briefed on the footage.

The FBI is investigating the incident “as an act of terrorism.”

New Year’s celebrations in the city ended in tragedy when the suspected terrorist – a US citizen and Army veteran – slammed into a crowd of revelers, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more.

The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street when the suspect rammed into the crowd with a pickup truck. More than 30 others were injured in the attack and have been transported to hospitals.

The agency confirmed he had an ISIS flag in his truck as he plowed into the crowd.

The FBI released a new image of the suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar (FBI/AFP via Getty Images)In the latest developments, the FBI is also probing a possible link between Jabbar and the driver in the Tesla Cybertruck blast outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel which took place just hours earlier on the same day.

Matthew Livelsberger, 37, a former Army veteran of Colorado Springs, is reported to have served at the same military base as Jabbar, sources told Denver7.

Here is what we know about the suspect so far

What happened?

The suspect exhibited “very intentional behavior” when he plowed into a crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street, just hours into the new year, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said at a press conference.

“This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” she said.

He evaded the city’s barriers and patrol cars. “This particular terrorist drove around onto the sidewalk and got around the hard target. We did have a car there. We had barriers there. We had officers there. And they still got around,” she said later in the day.

After crashing into the crowd, he exited his vehicle and fired at police officers, striking two. Both officers are in stable condition, Kirkpatrick said.

Law enforcement returned fire and the suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene, the FBI said.

“He was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick added.

Who was the driver?

The FBI confirmed that Jabbar, pictured, was a Texas resident (via REUTERS)The FBI identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas.

“He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which appears to have been rented and we are working to confirm how the subject came into possession of the vehicle,” the agency said in a Wednesday afternoon statement.

Officials recovered weapons and a potential explosive device inside the vehicle as well as an ISIS flag, which the FBI “is working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” the statement read.

Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, has been identified as the suspect and police said he had on ISIS flag on his truck (AP)Other potential IEDs were located in the French Quarter and rendered safe.

Law enforcement reportedly recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle, sources told the Associated Press.

The FBI said they don’t think the suspect acted alone. “We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates,” an official said at an afternoon press conference on Wednesday.

Disturbing footage of suspect ‘threatening to kill his family’

Investigators are reviewing a series of disturbing footage where the suspect revealed plans to kill his family and had dreams about joining ISIS, according to CNN, citing officials who had been briefed on the recordings.

It was reportedly filmed at night while the suspect was driving from his home in Texas to Louisiana, according to the network, though the exact timing of the recordings are unclear.

In the footage the suspect reportedly makes references to his divorce and how he had plans to gather his family for a “celebration” with the intent of killing them, two officials told the network.

The suspect reportedly then changed his mind on the plans and said he joined ISIS. In the videos he referred to dreams that he had about becoming inspired to join the terror group, officials told CNN.

What was the suspect’s background?

Law enforcement has confirmed the suspect was an Army veteran and images have emerged of Jabbar in Army uniform.

An Army spokesperson later confirmed to ABC that Jabbar served in human resources and information technology roles in the Army from 2007 to 2015, during which he deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.

Jabbar, pictured in 2016 while working for the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team at Fort Polk, Louisiana (Facebook/1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division)He continued as an IT specialist in the Army Reserve from 2015 to 2020, the spokesperson said. His listed jobs were not direct combat roles.

Jabbar was honorably discharged from the Army after he was caught drunk-driving on base, the Washington Post reported. He was charged in February 2015 and pleaded guilty.

The suspect had earlier enlisted in the Navy, in August 2024, though he never went to boot camp and was discharged from the delayed entry program one month later, according to a Navy spokesperson.

In a resurfaced YouTube video posted in 2020, Jabbar says he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and spent a decade working in the U.S. military before becoming a Realtor in the Houston area.

Information about the suspect’s background is still emerging, but law enforcement confirmed he was an Army veteran (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Public records suggest he was involved in consulting and real estate. Court records also indicate he was divorced.

In an August 2022 court document, seen by The Independent, the suspect said that he worked at Deloitte, earning $10,000 a month, or $120,000 a year.

But earlier that year, according to the New York Times, the suspect alluded to his financial issues in an email, claiming he owed over $27,000 in late home payments and was at risk of foreclosure. Because he needed to hire a lawyer and pay living expenses, he said he had taken on $16,000 in credit card debt, the outlet reported.

Authorities probing links to Tesla Cybertruck blast in Las Vegas

Flames rise from a Tesla Cybertruck after it exploded outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., January 1, 2025 (Alcides Antunes/Reuters)Investigators are also looking into the possible link between Jabbar and the driver in the Tesla Cybertruck blast outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel on the morning of New Year’s Day.

Matthew Livelsberger, 37, a former Army veteran of Colorado Springs, was allegedly behind the wheel when the vehicle exploded, according to local media reports.

Livelsberger and Jabbar are believed to have served at the same military base, sources told Denver7.

Las Vegas County Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted during the press conference that officials are “very well aware” of the New Orleans attack.

Who are the victims?

Several of the victims of the attack have so far been identified (Supplied)On Wednesday evening, the New Orleans coroner announced that 15 people have died, while more than 30 were injured.

Most of the wounded individuals were taken to University Medical Center, while others were sent to Touro Hospital, East Jefferson General Hospital, Ochsner Medical Center Jefferson Campus, or Ochsner Baptist Campus, police said.

Most victims appeared to be locals, not tourists, police said.

The two officers who were struck by gunfire were in stable condition and are being treated, Kirkpatrick said.

So far seven individuals who were killed have been identified as Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, an 18-year-old who traveled to New Orleans from Gulfport with her cousin and friend to celebrate the New Year, 28-year-old Tiger Bech, a former Princeton football player, Reggie Hunter, a 37-year-old Baton Rouge father of two, Matthew Tenedorio, a 25-year-old audiovisual technician who worked at the Superdome, Nicole Perez, 27, mom to a four-year-old boy, 21-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux and Kareem Badawi, a University of Alabama college freshman.

Jackson described Hunter, her cousin, as a doting father to his sons, ages 11 and one, and an “awesome person” with a “big heart.” “He just didn’t deserve this,” Jackson told NBC.

She added: “I wish the mom who I’ve seen at the hospital wasn’t crying … I don’t even know the lady. She was crying because her daughter was dead,. Another Black couple, their son was dead.”