Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man identified as the suspect in the New Year’s attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street that has left 15 people dead and over two dozen injured, had a checkered marital history marked by multiple divorces and financial difficulties, according to court records reviewed by ABC News.
Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S.-born citizen and U.S. Army veteran from Texas, had previously worked for two of the nation’s largest professional services firms, Ernst & Young and Deloitte, as he aimed to grow his own real estate business. At the time of his death, he was making close to $125,000 a year, but was heavily burdened by court-ordered child support payments for his children and credit card and mortgage debt.
Court records show that Jabbar was involved in three separate divorces, with the most recent one, filed in 2022, ending in a lengthy battle over financial support and management of his retirement savings.
Jabbar’s first divorce in 2012 was sparked by his ex-wife, Nakedra Charrlle Jabbar, who successfully sued him for child support payments for their two daughters. Four years later, in 2016, Jabbar filed for divorce from another wife, Tiera Symone Jabbar, in Dekalb County, Georgia, citing irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.
In his most recent divorce, filed in 2020, Jabbar faced opposition from his ex-wife, Shaneen Chantil Jabbar, who accused him of mismanaging their community estate and withholding important information from the court. The two eventually agreed to dismiss their suits against each other, but the divorce case was marked by public feuding and a lengthy battle over financial issues.
Jabbar’s financial struggles were evident, with court records showing he was struggling to pay bills and manage his financial obligations. He even represented himself in court, stating in an email that he could not afford the house payment and was in danger of foreclosure.
The FBI identified Jabbar as the suspect in the New Orleans attack, in which a rented Ford pickup truck was driven through a crowd at a high rate of speed, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. Unfortunately, Jabbar was killed during the attack.