Terror suspects' military connections highlight mental health among veterans

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- After the truck attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, followed by the cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, it is not believed that the two incidents are related. But the fact that both suspects served in the military has local veterans groups concerned.

The group said it shines a light on what's becoming a growing mental health crisis.

"It's so frustrating every time I hear of a veteran taking their own lives, a veteran taking other people's lives, it's just devastating to me," said Deb Elek.

After a career in the Marines, Elek founded 22 Saves Hockey in Rolesville, named for a sobering statistic - the fact that an estimated 22 veterans are lost to suicide every day. The group works to prevent that by getting them involved in sports like hockey.

It hits close to home, Elek lost a sister to suicide. Her son, also a veteran, suffered from PTSD. She even noticed changes within herself.

"I definitely felt that isolation or feeling like you no longer belong, you know, because it's hard to if you're not in the military, it's a hard thing to explain to people," Elek said.

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ABC News learned that the New Orleans suspect Shamsud-din Jabbar served in the Army from 2007 to 2015 and spent another five years in the Reserve.

While the suspect in the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion, Matthew Livelsberger; was an active-duty green beret.

We don't know what role mental health may have played, but experts do say trauma can impact veterans regardless of how long ago they served.

"They feel like they've held it in for so long and now they're finally able to talk to somebody about it. So, the fact that they may be years post service does not surprise me," said NAMI North Carolina executive director Holly Doggett.

Doggett said that oftentimes it's loved ones who will be the first to notice signs like people withdrawing or changing their behavior. And too often, veterans may be silent.

"There's still a huge amount of stigma around mental health in both the military and the veteran community for so long. You know, mental health concerns were something that you didn't talk about. In the military community. It could lead to changes in your rank. It could lead potentially to being ousted from the military," Doggett said.

But they hope out of the two tragedies, there can be awareness.

"The thing is where are these folks dropping through the cracks? That's what's the important thing to try and figure out," Elek said.

When it comes to the potential of veterans becoming radicalized, a 2022 report from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism found the number of extremist incidents involving active and former military members more than doubled between 2010 and 2021 compared to the prior two decades.

Still, it's important to note that by percentage, the number of service members who engage in acts of violence remains extremely low.

As for mental health concerns, there are many resources available from 22 Saves Hockey to NAMI North Carolina.

You can also call the Veteran Crisis Line through the VA at 988 and Dial 1.