New Orleans Suspect Initially Intended to Target Friends and Family: Feds

New Orleans truck attack suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar said in social media videos that he originally planned to attack his family and friends, but instead opted to target the French Quarter so news reports would focus on what he termed the “war between the believers and the disbelievers,” the FBI said Thursday.

Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of counterterrorism at the FBI, made the disclosure at a Thursday news conference.

Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran from Texas, had posted five videos on Facebook on the night of Dec. 31, where he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) and noted he had joined the terror group before this summer.

“In the first video, Jabbar explains he originally intended to harm his family and friends, but was concerned that news headlines would not focus on the ‘war between the believers and the disbelievers,'” said Raia.

An ISIS flag was recovered in the back of Jabbar’s Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck, which was used to drive into a crowd of New Year’s Day revelers on bustling Bourbon Street, the commercial and tourism heart of the French Quarter.

Fifteen people were killed — including Jabbar, who was shot dead by police — and dozens more were injured.

ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities now believe Jabbar acted alone in the attack, though they had previously said they believed others were involved.

Jabbar is also alleged to have placed two coolers containing explosives within the French Quarter prior to the attack. A fire at a nearby Airbnb, believed to have started after Jabbar’s death, is being investigated as potentially related to the attack.

Jabbar’s brother, Abdur-Rahim, told the Houston Chronicle the attack was “completely out of his character.”

“You would never think he would do anything like this,” said Abdur-Rahim. “He was just the calmest, most gentle person you could possibly know.”