The brother of the terrorist who drove through a crowd in New Orleans on New Year's Day killing at least 15 people said "radicalization, not religion" is to blame for his actions.
Speaking to The New York Times, Abdur Jabbar said Shamsud-Din Jabbar that what his brother "did does not represent Islam." "This is more some type of radicalization," he added. Shamsud had "pledged allegiance to ISIS" in videos posted to his Facebook page before the attack took place.
An ISIS flag was found in the truck he used for the attack, with the FBI working to determine effective associations with the terrorist organization. Abdur Jabbar described his brother as a "sweetheart really, a nice guy a friend, really smart, caring." He was killed by police after the ramming.
Weapons and a potential IED were also found on the trailer hitch of the truck. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter of the city. The FBI believes he was not working alone.
In fact, Rep. Troy Carter confirmed that law enforcement is investigating more than one suspect in the attack on Bourbon Street.
A Louisiana State Police bulletin obtained by The Associated Press and shared with law enforcement offered further detail.
According to the document, surveillance footage shows a woman and three men placing one of multiple improvised explosive devices discovered in the French Quarter.
The FBI is the lead investigative agency and said it was "aggressively running down all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject."
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