Army Veteran Was Beset by Woes

Suspect in attack, a native Texan, told of being broke amid a contentious divorce

- Jack Gillum, Cameron McWhirter and Scott Calvert

The alleged terrorist behind the New Year's killing spree in New Orleans was a born-andbred Texan, an Army veteran, and father of three who had climbed the corporate ladder.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s life appeared to take a dark turn recently, with a messy divorce and his finances in a deep hole, according to an email he sent his then-wife’s lawyer in 2022.

“Time is of the essence. I can not afford the house payment. It is past due in excess of $27,000 and in danger of foreclosure if we delay settling the divorce,” the Houston resident wrote, worried about the tens of thousands of dollars in debt he had racked up as his real-estate business was losing money.

Law-enforcement officials have identified Jabbar, 42, as the man who rammed a rented pickup truck into partying crowds in the heart of the French Quarter early Wednesday, leaving 15 dead and dozens injured. Jabbar died in a shootout with police, according to authorities, who said a flag of the radical group Islamic State was attached to the pickup’s hitch. Explosive devices were found in the truck and neighborhood.

On his internal profile page at Deloitte, where he worked from 2021 to at least last fall as a “senior solutions specialist,” Jabbar posted about his interests, including hunting and prayer. He also quoted a passage in the Quran, from a section known as Al-Insan, or “The Man,” that discussed how faithful Muslims will be rewarded by God.