Imam: Jabbar's family says tragic incident 'driven by hatred and ignorance'

BEAUMONT, Texas (KFDM) — KFDM/Fox 4 News spoke with Imam Fahmee Al-Uqdah, who says he saw the New Orleans attack suspect early last year when Shamsud-Din Jabbar came to Beaumont to be with his father while he was dealing with health issues. He says Jabbar was "scholarly" and "quiet."

"I saw Shamsud-Din," Imam Al-Uqdah said. "I spoke to him the early part of last year. He was in town to help care for his father while his father was going through physical therapy, because of the aftermath of what looks like a stroke. Lot of compassion. He seemed rather scholarly, extraordinary human. The love he was showing for his father and the care, that is what I remember. I'm shocked by this whole thing, that Jabbar is alleged to have committed the horrific act. It brings tears to my eyes for the innocent victims."

The Imam tells KFDM that Jabbar's family asked him to convey the message that "the tragic incident was driven by hatred and ignorance and Jabbar's actions do not reflect the religion of Islam. The Muslim community condemns the attack and is saddened by the loss of life."

A search of public records shows a man with the same name and age as the suspect identified as the New Orleans attacker lived in Texas, and according to a YouTube video posted by a man with the same name, he says he was born and raised in Beaumont.

Public records show only one man with the name Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42, listed in Texas, with a current address in the Houston area. He says he's a real estate agent, and the only time he left southeast Texas was to serve in the military. He says he spent 10 years in human resources specialist and IT in the military, and "learned the meaning of great service and learned what it means to be responsive, dotting I's and crossing T's to make sure things go off without a hitch."

Jackie Simien, BISD Director of Communications, says a man by the same name and with the same age graduated from Central High School in 2001.

People who say they went to school with him at Central High School say he was "quiet and this is the last thing we'd have expected him to have allegedly done."

Public records show that in 2003, Jabbar was sentenced to probation and paid a fine on a theft charge in Houston.

Records also show a 2005 driving with a suspended license case in Beaumont for which he received probation and paid a fine.

KFDM is working to confirm the link to the suspect before we post the online video, which has now been removed from YouTube.

At least 15 are dead and dozens injured in the attack.

The New York Times reports he was honorably discharged from the Army and had converted to Islam at some point, according to a man married to Jabbar's ex-wife. The man says Jabbar and his ex-wife have two daughters, ages 15 and 20. In recent months, the man says Jabbar had been acting erratically, "being all crazy, cutting his hair" after converting to Islam.

The man and Jabbar's ex-wife stopped letting Jabbar spend time with the daughters.

CNN reports the suspect made a series of videos that appear to have been done while driving at night and he's not visible in them. They believe he made them as he drove from Texas to Louisiana, although the timing isn't clear. CNN reports the recordings referenced his divorce and that he planned on gathering his family together for a fake celebration so he could kill them.

The suspect is also said to have talked about how he joined ISIS, and spoke of dreams that he had about joining the terrorist group.