Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s New 12 months’s bloodbath in New Orleans, carried out with a pickup truck flying an ISIS flag, may embolden the terrorist group to radicalize extra People, specialists instructed Fox Information Digital.
Jabbar’s youthful brother told the New York Times that he and his Military veteran brother have been raised Christian in Beaumont, Texas earlier than the now-deceased attacker transformed to Islam as an grownup.
“What he did doesn’t characterize Islam,” the youthful brother mentioned. “That is extra some sort of radicalization, not faith.”
NEW ORLEANS TRUCK ATTACK SUSPECT INSPIRED BY ISLAMIC STATE TERRORIST GROUP
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a suspect within the New Orleans assault, is seen on this image obtained from social media, launched in November 2013, in Fort Johnson (previously Fort Polk), Louisiana, U.S. (1st Brigade Fight Staff, 82nd Airborne Division through Fb through REUTERS)
He added that Jabbar didn’t know what he needed to do in life, and started his army profession “to get some type of self-discipline.”
Whereas he was driving from his dwelling in Texas to Louisiana on Tuesday, legislation enforcement sources mentioned Jabbar posted movies to his Fb account pledging his allegiance to ISIS.
Retired FBI brokers Scott Duffey and Chris Swecker instructed Fox Information Digital that Wednesday’s assault may embolden ISIS, different terrorist teams or people who’ve been radicalized.
NEW ORLEANS TERROR SUSPECT’S BROTHER SAYS ATTACK IS SIGN OF ‘RADICALIZATION’: REPORT
ATF brokers examine the rental dwelling utilized by Shamsud-Din Jabbar in New Orleans, Louisiana on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024. A number of individuals are lifeless and dozens are injured after Jabbar rammed his automotive into crowds of New 12 months’s Eve revelers on Bourbon Road on Wednesday. (Kat Ramirez for Fox Information Digital)
“This can be a time the place ISIS is underneath excessive stress and their existence is being threatened in Syria and elsewhere. It might make sense for them to double down on their message to radicalize People to place them into motion and activate any cells that they’ve in place,” Swecker mentioned.
Earlier than his rampage in New Orleans, Jabbar posted a number of movies on Fb declaring his assist for ISIS, the FBI mentioned at a information convention on Thursday.
“Within the first video, Jabbar explains he solely deliberate to hurt his household and pals, however was involved the information headlines wouldn’t concentrate on the ‘battle between the believers and the disbelievers,'” FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia mentioned.
ISIS and different terrorist organizations usually use social media to recruit new members, specialists mentioned.
“ISIS and different overseas adversaries use all types of social media platforms to unfold anti-American ideologies, rhetoric and propaganda,” Duffey mentioned. “It is free speech, and designed to slowly convert younger individuals to begin questioning their American and spiritual beliefs.”
“It begins off tender messaging to draw individuals into their thought course of,” he continued. “Hyperlinks are sometimes supplied that lead individuals to further messages… sowing division and mistrust of presidency in younger impressionable minds.
“I believe there’s usually an underlying psychological situation within the reader that pulls them to the message, which over time results in… extra encrypted messages of violence.”
“It’s a win for them if somebody does one thing like what he did yesterday,” he continued.
NEW ORLEANS ATTACK: INVESTIGATION CONTINUES, AS FBI SAYS NO OTHER SUSPECTS INVOLVED
Investigators search the rental dwelling utilized by Shamsud-Din Jabbar in New Orleans, Louisiana on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024. A number of individuals are lifeless and dozens are injured after Jabbar rammed his automotive into crowds of New 12 months’s Eve revelers on Bourbon Road on Wednesday. (Kat Ramirez for Fox Information Digital)
Most people who find themselves radicalized are accomplished so by on-line supplies, mentioned John Ryan, who served as chief of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Division.
“Him being an IT particular person, it will imply he most likely is aware of entry the darkish internet the place much more materials is offered,” he mentioned about Jabbar’s background in info expertise.
“With regard as to whether it may set off different individuals, sadly there are lots of keyboard warriors who’re being uncovered to this and looking for one thing to connect with. Given the excessive degree of psychological well being points within the aftermath of COVID and the variety of protests in assist of Hamas and pro-Palestine and anti-Israel, the reply is sure. Principally lone wolf sort of individuals.”
Though legislation enforcement officers have been initially looking for accomplices within the assault, the FBI mentioned on Thursday that it seems Jabbar acted alone. Nevertheless, Swecker mentioned, that doesn’t low cost the potential for an energetic terror cell inside the nation.
“If his radicalization was because of the propaganda and calls to motion from ISIS on the web, that is [still] worldwide terrorism. We’re calling him homegrown, however it’s directed from a terrorist group,” Swecker mentioned.
“Even when he doesn’t carry a card, even when he isn’t on the cellphone with the ISIS director however he’s being referred to as to motion by propaganda on their web sites, it’s nonetheless worldwide terrorism,” he mentioned. “That’s very a lot part of the playbook for Al-Qaeda and these worldwide teams.”
Jabbar was stationed at Fort Bragg, now referred to as Fort Liberty, in North Carolina, as was active-duty U.S. Army soldier Matthew Livelsberger, who police mentioned deliberately created and died in an explosion that injured seven outdoors Trump Worldwide Lodge Las Vegas on New 12 months’s Day.
Investigators have uncovered no proof of a connection between the Bourbon Road terror assault in New Orleans and Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, regardless of the suspects’ shared army historical past.
The driving force of the Tesla Cybertruck that blew up outdoors Trump Worldwide Lodge Las Vegas on New 12 months’s Day has been recognized as active-duty U.S. Military soldier Matthew Livelsberger, pictured proper. Livelsberger’s assault happened inside hours of Jabbar’s in New Orleans. (Fox Information)
“In the event that they served on the similar base, I believe I’m nonetheless very open and there’s a definite chance that they linked up on the web or with their prior army associations,” Swecker mentioned. “If [Livelsberger] was a convert, he would have been going to the identical [religious] providers as [Jabbar].”
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“What [Jabbar] did and what occurred in Las Vegas does give credibility to the motion and creates that pleasure in others who could also be excited about it [carrying] on their plan in a brief timeframe,” Duffey mentioned.
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