Key Takeaways
- Both of Jabbar’s parents worked in public schools and were Democrats.
- His ethnicity is considered complex and mixed.
- He was a practicing Muslim and had an ISIS flag in his truck during the attack.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, identified as the suspect in a devastating New Year’s attack in New Orleans, was born in 1982 in Beaumont, Texas.
According to sources, he was the son of immigrants: his father, Adb Alrahim Jabbar, and his mother, Herma Regina Everett.
His parents worked in public schools and affiliated themselves with the Democratic Party.
Jabbar held American nationality, as his parents were U.S. citizens, and he maintained active voting registration in Texas.
He had previously lived in North Carolina, where he was registered as a Democrat in 2012.
Initially known as Sam Battle, Jabbar converted to Islam at an early age, embracing his new faith.
He was a Muslim by religion and had an ISIS flag in his truck during the attack.
Moreover, he also had a brother, Abdur Jabbar, born in 2000, who currently resides in Beaumont, Texas.
For his education, he attended Central Senior High School and later earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
His extensive military training includes graduating from Fort Gordon NCO Academy, 25B Information Technology MOS Training, US Army Alaska NCO Academy, and 42A Human Resources Specialist Advanced Individual Training, alongside basic combat training from the University of Houston.
He also holds an associate’s degree from Central Texas College and earned a degree in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University between 2015 and 2017, briefly working in real estate afterward.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s name and surname have significant meanings in Islamic culture.
“Shamsud-Din” translates to “Sun of the Faith,” which is widely recognized across Muslim-majority regions, including the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa.
The surname “Jabbar,” meaning “Compeller” or “Almighty,” is also one of the 99 Names of Allah in Islamic tradition.
His name suggests that his heritage traces back to Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or Syria; South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh; and North African nations like Morocco, Sudan, or Algeria.
However, some online records likely to be related to Jabbar suggest Black or African-American heritage, indicating a potentially diverse ancestry.
This complex background has sparked discussions on social media, with one writing:
Shamsud-Din Jabbar is NEITHER BLACK OR WHITE–BUT A MIDDLE EASTERNER BORN IN AMERICA–A RADICALIZED TERRORIST!
— @BeeNewsDailyB (@BeenewsdailyB) January 1, 2025
It is presumed that Shamsud’s ethnic background is South Asian on his father’s side and European-American on his mother’s side, but this remains to be confirmed.
With a rich tapestry of ethnic influences from different regions, Shamsud’s ethnicity is complex and mixed.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Police k*lled Shamsud-Din Jabbar on January 1, 2025, during a gunfire exchange after he drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans and opened fire on responding officers.
- From February 2009 to January 2010, he served in Afghanistan and achieved the rank of staff sergeant by the end of his service.
- He held positions as a human resource and IT specialist in the regular Army, serving from March 2007 to January 2015.
Although – like you – I have no concrete evidence, but based on available records and reporting, and furthermore based on his appearance, I would speculate his mother is not “European-American” but rather of some African descent, e.g. African-American or African- European. I would speculate his father is likely South Asian (possibly North African, less likely Mid-Eastern). My best guess would be African-European/American mother and Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi father.