"US Vehicle Ramming Terrorist Was Quiet and Ordinary," Testimonies from Acquaintances

Quiet and Humble... Also Gets Along with Neighborhood Kids
Some Interpret This as a Change Due to Divorce and Business Failure

Shamsud Deen Javarr, the perpetrator of the vehicle ramming attack in New Orleans. [AP=Yonhap News. Provided by FBI. Resale and DB prohibited]

On New Year's Day, a terrorist who caused dozens of casualties in New Orleans, USA, was described by acquaintances as quiet and ordinary.

According to major US and UK media outlets including the AP on the 2nd, acquaintances such as family, neighbors, and former colleagues of the terrorist Shamsud Dean Jabar testified that he was a "quiet person" and that they "could never have imagined him committing such an extreme act of terrorism."

Jabar's half-brother, Abdul Rahim Jabar, said, "He was a smart, funny, compassionate, and humble person," adding, "He literally couldn't even harm a single bug, so we are struggling to understand how he changed like this."

Jabar's neighbor, Mumtaz Bashir, also expressed shock, saying, "He was a very quiet and private person," and "There were no signs that he would commit such an act."

Neighbors reported that Jabar was especially quiet. He did not talk to anyone and was so quiet that he barely passed by the nearby Islamic mosque. However, he seemed to have opened his heart to the neighborhood children. One child said, "Jabar used to watch the kids play basketball and chat about sports," adding, "He seemed like a good person, but I don't know much about him."

Chris Fuson, a middle school classmate of Jabar, also testified that Jabar was a quiet and introverted child. He said, "It's really shocking," and "Even other classmates can't believe it." He recalled, "(Jabar) always enjoyed praising the glory of God, but he always expressed his faith in a positive way," and "There was no negative side at all."

Shamsud Deen Javarr, the perpetrator of the vehicle ramming attack in New Orleans. [Reuters=Yonhap News Agency. Provided by FBI. Resale and DB prohibited]

In fact, Jabar reportedly performed his duties normally and diligently during his US military service from 2006 to 2015. Richie Groen, who said he was Jabar's commander during his deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, wrote on his social network service (SNS) account, "Jabar was an excellent soldier who showed discipline and dedication," and expressed, "I cannot understand how someone who once showed a quiet and professional demeanor could harbor such great hatred and commit unspeakably cruel acts."

Currently, there is an interpretation that Jabar fell into extremist ideology after experiencing frustrations such as two divorces and financial difficulties due to business failures. The current husband of Jabar's ex-wife claimed in a media interview, "He completely went crazy after converting to Islam."

However, Jabar's brother Abdul Rahim denied this interpretation. He stated that Jabar had been a Muslim for a long time and had shown a gentle demeanor until recently. He also claimed, "He thought the responsibility for the divorce was on himself and did not blame his ex-wife."

US investigative authorities are investigating the motive and circumstances of the crime based on Jabar's will and evidence. Jabar was shot dead after a gunfight with police at the crime scene.