The New Year's massacre by Chams al-Din Jabbar in New Orleans, carried out in a pickup truck flying an ISIS flag, could embolden the terrorist organization to radicalize more Americans, experts told Fox News Digital.
Jabbar's younger brother He told the New York Times He and his Army veteran brother were raised Christian in Beaumont, Texas, before the deceased attacker converted to Islam as an adult.
The younger brother said: “What he did does not represent Islam.” “This is a kind of extremism, not religion.”
The suspect in the truck attack in New Orleans at the behest of the Islamic State terrorist group
Shams al-Din Jabbar, the suspect in the New Orleans attack, is shown in this photo obtained from social media and posted in November 2013 at Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), Louisiana. (1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division via Facebook via Reuters)
He added that Jabbar did not know what he wanted to do in life and started his military career “to get some kind of discipline.”
While traveling from his home in Texas to Louisiana on Tuesday, Jabbar posted videos on his Facebook account pledging allegiance to ISIS, law enforcement sources said.
Retired FBI agents Scott Duffey and Chris Swicker told Fox News Digital that Wednesday's attack could embolden ISIS, other terrorist groups or individuals who have become radicalized.
New Orleans terror suspect's brother says attack is sign of 'extremism': report
ATF agents investigate a rental home used by Shams Al-Din Jabbar in New Orleans on Thursday. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
“This is a time when ISIS is under intense pressure, and its presence is under threat in Syria and elsewhere. It would make sense for them to double down on their message of radicalizing Americans by activating them and any cells they have in place,” Swecker said.
Before his attack in New Orleans, Jabbar posted several videos on Facebook declaring his support for ISIS, the FBI said in a press conference on Thursday.
“In the first video, Jabbar explains that he only planned to hurt his family and friends, but was concerned that the headlines wouldn’t focus on the ‘war between believers and unbelievers.’” FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raya He said.
ISIS and other terrorist organizations often use social media to recruit new members, experts said.
“ISIS and other foreign adversaries use all types of social media platforms to spread anti-American ideologies, rhetoric and propaganda,” Duffy said. “It is free speech and designed to slowly convert young people to start questioning their American and religious ideals.
“It starts with simple messages to engage people in their thought process,” he added. “Links are often provided that lead people to additional messages… and sow division and distrust of government in the minds of impressionable young people.
“I think there is often an underlying mental issue in the reader that draws them to the message, which over time leads to… more coded messages of violence.
“It's a win for them if someone does something like what he did yesterday.”
Investigators search a rental home used by Shams al-Din Jabbar in New Orleans on Thursday. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
Most people are radicalized by online material, said John Ryan, who served as head of the New York Port Authority and the New Jersey Police Department.
“Being an IT professional means he probably knows how to access the dark web where a lot of material is available,” Ryan said of Jabbar's IT background.
“In terms of whether this could trigger other people, it's unfortunate that there are a lot of keyboard warriors who are exposed to this and are looking for something to connect to. Given the high level of mental health issues in the wake of the coronavirus and the number of people who have attended the pro-Hamas protests And pro-Palestine and anti-Israel, the answer is yes, mostly lone wolf type.”
Although law enforcement officers were initially looking for accomplices in the attack, the FBI said Thursday that it appeared Jabbar acted alone. However, Sweiker said, this does not rule out the possibility of an active terrorist cell within the country.
“If his radicalization is a result of ISIS' online propaganda and calls to action, then this is (still) international terrorism. We describe it as home-grown, but directed by a terrorist organization,” Sweker said.
He added: “Even if he did not have a card, even if he was not on the phone with the ISIS director but was called to action through propaganda on their websites, this is still international terrorism.” “This is a big part of the rules of the game for Al Qaeda and these international groups.”
Jabbar was stationed at Fort Bragg, now called Fort Liberty, in North Carolina, and was also on active duty US Army Soldier Matthew Livelspergerwho police said was intentionally murdered and died in an explosion that injured seven outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Investigators have uncovered no evidence of a link between the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas despite the suspects' shared military history.
The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day has been identified as active-duty US Army soldier Matthew Levelsberger, pictured at right. The Levelsberger attack occurred within hours of a massive attack in New Orleans. (Fox News)
“If they served at the same base, I think I'm still very open, and there's a distinct possibility they communicated online or with their former military associations,” Swecker said. “If Livelsperger had been a convert, he would have gone to the same (religious) services that Jabbar went to.
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“What (Jabbar) did and what happened in Las Vegas gives credibility to the movement and creates that excitement for others who may be considering (continuing) with their plan in a short time frame,” Duffy said.
