Resurfaced Shamsud Din-Jabbar interview reveals bizarre problem New Orleans attacker had after leaving military

By GERMANIA RODRIGUEZ POLEO, CHIEF U.S. REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

Terror suspect Shamsud Din-Jabbar claimed he struggled to communicate without using military jargon in a resurfaced interview from his day at Georgia State University.

Jabbar, 42, told the school's paper in 2015 that he was struggling to acclimate to civilian live after serving in the Army as a human-resources and information-technology specialist.

'There’s so many different acronyms you’ve learned,' Jabbar said. 'You don’t know how to speak without using these terms, and you’re not sure what terms are used outside the military.'

Jabbar also complained that the Department of Veterans Affairs often made it difficult for veterans to get their tuition and other education benefits through the G.I. Bill.

'It’s such a large agency... you have to do your due diligence, make sure you have your paperwork together,' he told Sean Keenan, who is now a contributor at The New York Times. 

Jabbar served in the Army from 2007 until 2015, reaching the role of sergeant before he was honorably discharged. 

A decade after leaving the Army, he flew an Isis flag as he ran over the crowd in the iconic French Quarter, killing 15 and injuring dozens with a rented truck. He died in a shootout with police.

The Texas native had successfully climbed the corporate ladder after his time in the army, which included  11 months in Afghanistan.

Jabbar, 42, said in 2015 that he was struggling to acclimate to civilian live after serving in the Army for nearly a decade

Jabbar, 42, said in 2015 that he was struggling to acclimate to civilian live after serving in the Army for nearly a decade

Jabbar complained that the Department of Veterans Affairs often made it difficult for veterans to get their tuition and other education benefits through the G.I. Bill

Jabbar complained that the Department of Veterans Affairs often made it difficult for veterans to get their tuition and other education benefits through the G.I. Bill

He went on to study computer-information systems at Georgia State University, held a job at IT company Accenture and gave real estate a try before returning to Texas in 2018, starting a job as a cloud-consulting manager for Ernst & Young, an accounting company.

Jabbar then started work as a 'senior solutions specialist at Deloitte from 2021 until at least the past fall. According to a pay stub shown in court, he made the equivalent of nearly $125,000 a year.

On December 1, Jabbar set an out-of-office message at Deloitte, saying he would return to work on January 1, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

'Please expect a delay in response during this time,' he wrote.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening that the FBI had told him that 'mere hours before the attack, [Jabbar] posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired' by ISIS. 

The rampage turned festive Bourbon Street into a macabre scene of maimed victims, bloodied bodies and pedestrians fleeing for safety inside nightclubs and restaurants. In addition to the dead, dozens of people were hurt. A college football playoff game at the nearby Superdome was postponed until Thursday.

There was also a deadly explosions outside a Las Vegas hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump. Biden said the FBI was looking into whether the Las Vegas explosion was connected to the New Orleans attack but had 'nothing to report' as of Wednesday evening.

The FBI said in a statement that it is carrying out raids on homes across multiple states as they probe whether Jabbar acted alone.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening that the FBI had told him that 'mere hours before the attack, [Jabbar] posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired' by ISIS

President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening that the FBI had told him that 'mere hours before the attack, [Jabbar] posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired' by ISIS 

The rampage turned festive Bourbon Street into a macabre scene of maimed victims, bloodied bodies and pedestrians fleeing for safety

The rampage turned festive Bourbon Street into a macabre scene of maimed victims, bloodied bodies and pedestrians fleeing for safety

Officials said hours after the attack that they believe Jabbar may have had accomplices and that he was not 'solely responsible.'

Late in the evening, the FBI said 'special agents and our law enforcement partners are currently conducting a number of court authorized search warrants in New Orleans and other states.'

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