His brother, Abdur Jabbar, who spoke to the New York Times, speaks of him as “a sweetheart, a nice guy, a friend, very intelligent, attentive.”
It indicates that the suspect had converted to Islam at a young age, emphasizing “what he did does not represent Islam. It is rather a form of radicalization.”
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A childhood friend also contacted by the New York daily, Chris Pousson, remembers a person who did not “create problems, had good grades”.
Recounting having reconnected with him in 2017 via social networks, this retired soldier indicates that he “was never threatening, but you could see that he had become really intense about his faith”.
In a video dating from 2020, since removed from social networks, the suspect praises his services as a real estate agent with a southern United States accent and extols his merits.
Deployment to Afghanistan
“Good evening. I am Shamsud-Din Jabbar, property manager (…). I was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and now live in Houston. I have been here all my life, at the exception of my trips for the army”, he proudly recounts his military past.
He says he worked for the army in the “human resources” and “IT” sectors.
In this video, he poses in front of a screen on which the words “Discipline” are written in large letters.
The FBI said he left the military “honorably.”
The Defense Department noted that he was in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including a deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, finishing as a staff sergeant. He was also a reserve from 2015 to 2020.
In his video, Shamsud-Din Jabbar says he “learned” in the army “what it means to be reactive and take everything seriously (…) to make sure things go smoothly.”
“What really sets me apart from other (real estate) agents is my ability to be a tough negotiator,” he says.
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His criminal record includes two charges for minor offenses: theft in 2002 and driving with an invalid license in 2005, according to the New York Times.
The daily also reports that Mr. Jabbar has been married twice and was divorcing in 2022, citing financial difficulties in a letter to his wife’s lawyer. According to the newspaper, he said he lost $28,000 in his agency and offered to sell their house and share the proceeds.
Mr. Jabbar earned a degree in computer science at Georgia State University after spending two years studying between 2015 and 2017, a university spokesperson told AFP.
