New Orleans attacker's brother: 'He never gave any red flags leading up to this'

The brother of the late assailant who killed more than a dozen people in a vehicle attack New Orleans on New Year's Day says there were no significant warning signs ahead of the terror attack.

“Sham believed his Islamic faith taught him that partying in places like New Orleans wasn’t righteous,” Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s younger brother Abdur Rahem Jabbar said in an interview with KPRC 2 that was published Thursday. “But he never gave any red flags leading up to this.”

Abdur Rahem Jabbar told the Houston outlet that he understands “people want answers, but we’re just as puzzled as the rest of the world.” 

Shamsud-Din Jabbar was confirmed by authorities to be the person who drove a rented Ford pickup truck into a group of people Wednesday on Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens more. He was killed in the aftermath by law enforcement. 

Authorities said they discovered an Islamic State flag in Jabbar’s rented car and posts on social media platforms sympathizing with a transnational terrorist organization.

The Texas native served in the Army from 2007 to 2020. He also deployed to Afghanistan. 

His brother offered condolences to the victims and families impacted by the attack. 

“Our hearts, prayers, and thoughts go out to those families, the victims, and those who witnessed this tragedy,” Abdur Rahem Jabbar said in the interview “This wasn’t the man I knew. This isn’t any representation of Islam or Muslims or the Muslim community.”

Abdur Rahem Jabbar said his older brother worked in the tech industry in Texas after leaving the military. He went through two divorces, the more recent in 2022, his brother said.