Shamsud-Din Jabbar left behind a frightening scene in his trailer home in north Houston – bomb-making materials, an open Koran and signs of a life descending into chaos. (Photos: New York Post)

Shamsud Din JabbarA 42-year-old terrorist from New Orleans who had pledged allegiance to Isis left a frightening scene in his North Houston trailer home – complete with Materials for making bombsa Koran open to a passage that glorifies violence and signs of a life descending into chaos.
On New Year’s Day, Jabbar drove a rented Ford F-150 Lightning into the heart of Bourbon Streetand mowed down revelers at 3 a.m. in a gruesome rampage. Fourteen people were killed, dozens injured, and Jabbar himself died in a shootout with police. Federal investigators have classified it as an act of terrorism.
A Koran that is open to violence
The video published by the New York Post showed a workbench in Jabbar’s bedroom set up for assembling explosives. Nearby, his Quran stood prominently on a bookshelf, open to verse 9:111, which reads: “They fight in the cause of Allah and kill and are killed; a binding promise…” The verse, widely interpreted by extremist ideologies as a call to violence, cast a haunting shadow over his already sinister actions.

This passage, investigators believe, fueled Jabbar’s life Radicalization. It was the same ideology he embraced in the chilling videos posted online minutes before his attack, in which he declared his allegiance to ISIS and made threats, including against his own family.

A chaotic scene at home
The aftermath of the FBI raid on Jabbar’s trailer painted a picture of a man living on the edge. The house was in disarray, the front door was kicked in, cupboards were torn open and furniture was knocked over.
In his master bedroom, there was a keffiyeh in the closet and bomb-making tools on the workbench – ominous signs of his dark turn. Despite the disarray, the house seemed eerie, as if he had just left it, clothes and belongings strewn about.

A house full of red flags
Jabbar’s trailer house painted a grim picture of his decline extremism. The property was full of chemical residue and bottles, and FBI agents left behind a list of compounds commonly used in bomb making. A rolled-up prayer rug and numerous Islamic books also indicated his radicalization.
But the house also bore traces of his fragmented private life. A back bedroom was crammed with children’s toys and bunk beds – remnants of his role as father of two daughters, ages 15 and 20.
Hours before his attack, Jabbar told neighbors he was leaving for New Orleans for a new IT job. The lie was soon exposed when the same white truck he drove off in became his weapon of mass destruction.
The downfall of a veteran
Jabbar, a former Army staff sergeant, served for 10 years, including in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2019. But after he left active duty in 2015 and the reserves in 2020, his life began to fall apart. Financial problems due to two divorces, a failed real estate career and difficulties as an IT specialist characterized his civilian years.
Despite his calm demeanor, Jabbar’s radicalization had alarming roots. In videos released before his attack, he not only declared his loyalty to Isis but also threatened to kill his own family. His younger brother, Abdur Jabbar, was shocked: “This is more of a kind of radicalization, not religion. He was really a sweetheart, a nice guy, a friend, really smart and caring.”