New Orleans mass killer spent years in the CSRA
THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The New Orleans mass killer once lived in Thomson while he was apparently stationed at Fort Eisenhower – then known as Fort Gordon.
ISIS-inspired attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, lived in Thomson while he was married to a local woman for three years before their marriage ended after abuse on his part, according to her family.
The path from Thomson to terrorism: How veteran became a mass killer
The FBI is working to learn what led former Thomson resident Shamsud-Din Jabbar to plow a truck through a New Orleans crowd, killing 14.
Years later, he plowed a rented pickup into a crowd of New Year’s revelers this week before shooting at people on Bourbon Street. Police shot him dead, but not before he killed at least 14 people in a city packed with University of Georgia football fans there for the Sugar Bowl.
Jabbar and Tiera Symone Whitfield were married in Augusta on Sept. 15, 2013, after obtaining a marriage license in McDuffie County.
The judge who signed the marriage license told News 12 on Thursday she recognized his face on the news, but she couldn’t recall where she knew him from – until we requested a copy of the marriage license.
She told News 12 he worked at what was then known as Fort Gordon. His now ex-wife’s family told News 12 that, too.
Online records showed Jabbar lived in Thomson during the marriage.
He and Whitfield divorced in DeKalb County in 2016.
According to news reports, he cited irreconcilable differences and said there was no hope they would get back together.
A relative of his ex-wife told News 12 there’s more to the story than that.
They said he was abusive – a situation that got worse after they lost a baby.
Whitfield last heard from him a couple of months ago on social media, where he messaged her asking if she still had any of their late son’s things.
She blocked him at the urging of family .
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When we asked the Thomson police chief about a connection between Jabbar and the city, we were referred to the FBI.
The FBI told us: “We are following up and doing interviews with relatives from Georgia in that area.”
News 12 also ed Fort Eisenhower to learn whether he’d ever been at the post when he was in the Army.
‘Are you guys OK?’: Harlem family shares New Orleans experience
On Wednesday, we spoke with a family staying at a hotel for the Sugar Bowl, which has since been postponed following the tragic attack on Bourbon Street that left 15 dead and over 30 injured.
Fort Eisenhower referred us up the chain of command to the Pentagon, where an Army spokesperson told us:
“Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar was in the regular Army as a Human Resource Specialist (42A) and Information Technology (IT) Specialist (25B) from March 2007 until January 2015 and then in the Army Reserve as an IT Specialist (25B) from January 2015 until July 2020. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010. He held the rank of Staff Sergeant at the end of service.”
Evans man shares of New Orleans fatal attack
We talked to a local man who said he witnessed the fatal attack in New Orleans, we learned Thursday morning.
Although the Army wouldn’t directly confirm he’d served on the post, the service periods released by the Pentagon do match up with the time he lived in Thomson.
Authorities said Thursday they believed he acted alone in the attack that also included improvised explosive devices.
Yet they also said they’re seeking additional potential suspects.
The FBI recovered a black Islamic State flag from his rented pickup. In videos posted online just before the attack, he refers to a “war between the believers and the disbelievers.”
UGA student critically injured in deadly New Orleans attack identified
A University of Georgia student was among the several people injured after a truck plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street just hours before the university’s football team was set to play in the Sugar Bowl, according to UGA officials.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating possible connections between Jabbar and another soldier who died in another apparent attack attempt Wednesday.
Active-duty soldier Matthew Livelsberger died in a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Seven people were injured.
Authorities say they don’t believe the Las Vegas and New Orleans incidents were related.
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