New Orleans attack suspect discusses plans to kill family members and join Islamic State in chilling audio recording. this is what we know

In a series of videos, the suspect in the deadly New Year’s Day attacks in New Orleans discussed plans to kill his family and dreams that inspired him to join the Islamic State, according to multiple officials briefed on the investigation.

Police suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old man, drove a pickup truck into a group of revelers on Bourbon Street while driving from his home in Texas, killing at least 15 He made this chilling recording of one person dead and dozens injured.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and veteran who served in Afghanistan, mentioned in the film his divorce and how he initially planned to gather his family for a “celebration” with the intention of killing them, two people who were briefed on the situation said. the official said in the recording. But in the film, Jabbar said he changed his plans and joined the Islamic State, citing several dreams he had about why he wanted to join the terror group, officials said.

Officials said the videos, which CNN has not yet reviewed, appeared to have been recorded while he was driving at night, but the exact time was unclear.

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar died in a shootout with police after driving a truck through a crowd. The truck he was driving contained potential improvised explosive devices and was flying an Islamic State flag, according to local and federal authorities.

Now, law enforcement is reviewing the video taken by Jabbar as they scramble to piece together the details of how he went from a veteran to a suspect in a deadly rampage.

An Army spokesman told CNN on Wednesday that Jabbar served in the Army for more than a decade. The spokesman said he served as an active-duty human resources specialist and information technology specialist from March 2007 to January 2015, and was deployed once to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010. After retiring in January 2015, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar served in the Army Reserves until retiring in July 2020 as a sergeant.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was born in Beaumont, Texas, said in a 2020 YouTube video titled “Introduction” that he claimed to be a professional real estate agent based in Houston.

He said in the YouTube video that serving in the military taught Kareem “the meaning of great service, and the meaning of being responsive, taking everything seriously, and being meticulous to make sure things go smoothly.” In the video, he is seated next to a framed poster with the word “discipline” written in bold letters and a book titled “Leadership.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earned an associate’s degree from Central Texas College in 2010 and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University in 2017, according to his online resume. Both degrees are related to computer science and information technology. His resume shows that he later worked in business development and data engineering at consulting firms Deloitte and Accenture.

Georgia State University confirmed to CNN that Jabbar attended from 2015 to 2017 and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in computer information systems. The College of Central Texas and Accenture did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. Deloitte said in a statement: “We were shocked to learn today that the individual identified as the suspect had any connection to our firm. The individual had held an employee-level position since being hired in 2021.

According to Texas Real Estate Commission records, Jabbar obtained a real estate license in 2019 that expires in 2023. Records show he took a series of real estate courses between 2018 and 2021 covering topics such as contract law and finance. Relevant information.

Court documents show that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has divorced his two ex-wives. In 2012, shortly after he filed for divorce, his first wife sued him for child support, and the court ordered Jabbar to pay an amount that increased as his income grew. The case was dismissed in 2022.

In 2020, a Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after his second wife filed for a temporary restraining order in their divorce case. The order requires Jabbar to refrain from threatening, physically harming, or other prescribed conduct toward his ex-wife and their two children, and requires her to refrain from the same activities. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s ex-wife said in a court filing that the marriage “became intolerable due to discord or personality conflicts.”

Harris County court records also show that in December 2002, Jabbar pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of theft of $50 to $500 and underwent nine months of “community supervision.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s financial situation has appeared to be in trouble in recent years. In a January 2022 email filed as part of the divorce case, he wrote that he was unable to make payments on the home, which he said was more than $27,000 past due and that if his divorce settlement was further delayed, “there is a risk of foreclosure.” danger”.

Kareem also said in the email that the company he founded, Blue Meadow Properties, lost about $28,000 the previous year and that other companies he founded were worthless. He added that he owed about $16,000 in credit card debt.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appears to have rented the Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck he used in the New Year’s attack on the car rental website Turo, which allows owners to rent out their vehicles to others. The truck’s owner told CNN in a text message that the truck was rented on Turo.

Turo did not respond to a request for comment, but the site banned the truck from being rented Wednesday morning. Prior to being disabled, the vehicle was listed for $105 per day (excluding taxes and fees) and was unavailable for rent until 12:30 PM Central Time on Wednesday.

CNN’s Evan Perez and Pamela Brown contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include new information about the suspects and a statement from Deloitte.

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