Augusta, GA
New Orleans mass killer spent years in the CSRA
THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The New Orleans attacker once lived in Thomson, where he was married to a woman before they divorced after three years.
It was during a time when he served in the Army, and we’re working to confirm he worked at Fort Eisenhower, which was then known as Fort Gordon.
ISIS-inspired attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar steered around a police blockade and plowed into a crowd of New Year’s revelers before exiting the truck and shooting at people on Bourbon Street. He was shot dead by police, but not before killing at least 14 people.
Authorities said Thursday they believed he acted alone, yet they’re seeking additional potential suspects in the attack that happened as countless Georgians were in New Orleans to see the Bulldogs play in the Sugar Bowl.
Jabbar and Tiera Symond Whitfield were married in Augusta on Sept. 15, 2013, after receiving a marriage license in McDuffie County, according to court records.
They divorced in DeKalb County 2016 over irreconcilable differences and stating that there was no hope they would get back together, according to news reports.
Online records showed Jabbar lived on Holt Street in Thomson for a time, apparently during the marriage.
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When we asked the Thomson police chief about a connection between Jabbar and the city, we were referred to the FBI.
The FBI told us: “We are following up and doing interviews with relatives from Georgia in that area.”
News 12 also contacted Fort Eisenhower to learn whether he’d ever been at the post when he was in the Army.
Fort Eisenhower referred us up the chain of command to the Pentagon, where an Army spokesperson told us:
“Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar was in the regular Army as a Human Resource Specialist (42A) and Information Technology (IT) Specialist (25B) from March 2007 until January 2015 and then in the Army Reserve as an IT Specialist (25B) from January 2015 until July 2020. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010. He held the rank of Staff Sergeant at the end of service.”
Although the Army wouldn’t directly confirm he’d served at Fort Eisenhower – then known as Fort Gordon – the service periods released by the Pentagon do match up with the time he lived in Thomson.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating possible connections between Jabbar and another soldier who died in another apparent attack attempt Wednesday.
Active-duty soldier Matthew Livelsberger died in a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Seven people were injured.
Authorities say they don’t believe the Las Vegans and New Orleans incidents were related.
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