What New Orleans attack suspect said in SoundCloud clips
By: Gabriella Killett (NOLA. com)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect accused of inciting a terroristic attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, appeared to post three religious recordings to a SoundCloud account less than a year ago, one of which likened music to "Satan's voice."
Jabbar, 42, was shot and killed by police early Wednesday. Law enforcement said he plowed a truck through Bourbon Street as revelers were celebrating New Year's, killing 14 and injuring dozens more. Jabbar was carrying an Islamic State flag, and posted videos to social media "proclaiming his support for ISIS," according to an FBI update on Thursday morning.
As law enforcement officials have cased his social media accounts and tried to piece together a more complete portrait of Jabbar, the recordings on a SoundCloud account linked to his name help to shed light on some of his views. SoundCloud is an interface used by musicians to record and stream tracks.
Jabbar was a U.S. citizen who lived in Texas. Friends and relatives of his said he practiced Islam, though they also said he attended Christian church in his younger years as well.
"Forbidding the evil is a mandate on all of mankind," Jabbar, said in a recording posted to the account 11 months ago.
Jabbar appears to lead three sermons praising Allah, the God of Islam, on the account. He preaches that rapping and music could lead people to "the things that God has made forbidden to us," namely intoxicants. He alleged that one musical recording incited three murders in his neighborhood in a week.
"One of the signs of the end of times will be that some groups of Muslims will think that playing music is no longer sinful," he said in the recording. "And we see that Allah will punish them with an earthquake and transformation. And this has happened before, it happened to the children of Israel. Their account is in the Quran as well, so let's learn from their mistakes."
Jabbar was once a fan of music, friend says
Some who knew Jabbar have cautioned that his beliefs do not represent the whole of Islam and that they were also an about-face from Jabbar's younger years.
Aron "Passa" Palmer, 42, said in an interview Wednesday that he grew up a block away from Jabbar. He remembered his friend as a quiet and intellectual kid, who was more open-minded than some of his peers, especially when it came to music.
"I listened to mostly Texas artists," Palmer recalled. He said Jabbar's taste extended beyond the state: Wu-Tang Clan, Outkast and Nas were some of the artists Jabbar especially liked, Palmer said.
"He was mostly interested in the lyrics," Palmer said.
Palmer said he hadn't seen Jabbar in about 20 years, though they had exchanged messages occasionally on social media.
He was shocked and disturbed when he learned about the attack.
"This is not the person that we knew growing up," Palmer said. "He was a really good guy. We don't know this guy."
The New York Times reported Wednesday that a brother named Abdur Jabbar said the suspect converted to Islam at a young age.
"But what he did does not represent Islam," said Abdur Jabbar, 24. "This is more some type of radicalization, not religion."
While Jabbar's recordings on SoundCloud discuss his faith, he does not promote violence in them. The FBI said Thursday that in more recent recordings on his social media pages — which have been taken down — Jabbar discussed his plans to initially harm his family and friends before changing tracks to attack Bourbon Street.
He was "concerned that the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers,'" said Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division.
Jabbar now said to have acted alone
While the FBI initially said Wednesday that they believed Jabbar had accomplices, they said Thursday that they now believe he acted alone.
"All but the people who forbid the evil will be destroyed. This is what Allah says in his perfect book," Jabbar said on one of the SoundCloud tracks.
Jabbar went on to say that violence in Islamic communities is a product of Allah's punishment. But he said those who were faithful would be rewarded.
"The sounds of paradise will be more appealing and desirable than the music here and the obedient will have whatever they desire," he said in the recording.
Jabbar was a U.S. Army veteran clad in a ballistics vest and helmet when he was killed. He also worked as a real estate agent in Houston and for Deloitte, one of the nation's largest financial services companies.
Two confirmed homemade explosives were found at Bourbon Street and Orleans Avenue and in the 600 block of Bourbon Street after the attack.
"Our culture here in New Orleans is music," said New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick on Thursday. "The band came, the second line band and they played 'Fly Away,' and with respect, we walked down this street to show honor and respect ... People did not die in vain."
This is a developing story. Check back later for more.
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Some of what is being revealed about him indicates he may have had more mental health issues than just ISIS could explain, although that could be a distinction without a difference.
Hmmmm, let's see. Drive a rented pickup into a crowd. Sounds sane to me /s
So glad that I never fell into the deep pit of mythology and superstition.