Additional Coverage:
A decade before carrying out a deadly shooting in New Orleans, Shamsud-Din Jabbar expressed challenges adjusting to civilian life after serving in the military.
As a Georgia State University student in 2015, Jabbar told a campus newspaper that he struggled to navigate the G.I. Bill and felt awkward communicating with non-military individuals.
Sean Keenan, who interviewed Jabbar at the time, recalled him as a composed and collected individual. However, Keenan noted a reserved and distant demeanor, which he attributed to the possible effects of difficult military deployments.
Jabbar served eight years in the Army, including a tour in Afghanistan. His brother stated that he joined the military due to a lack of direction and a need for discipline.
Keenan expressed disbelief upon realizing his past interaction with Jabbar, having only connected the dots after another journalist identified his previous story.