New Orleans Attack Linked to Las Vegas Explosion
While authorities have ruled out additional suspects in an attack in New Orleans, they are continuing to probe any possible links between the incident and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.
Background
The attacks happened within hours of each other on New Year’s Day.
New Orleans Attack
Federal officials said the probe is still in the early stages and no conclusions should be reached at this time, but it appears both suspects had backgrounds in the U.S. military.
“At this point there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas,” Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division, said Thursday.
In New Orleans, the feds looked into whether the man who plowed into revelers on Bourbon Street had accomplices, but officials said they found none and that the attacker acted alone.
Investigators found two explosive devices in coolers in the French Quarter. Surveillance footage showed Shamsud-Din Jabbar placing the items in the area several hours before the attack, according to the FBI.
Las Vegas Explosion
The FBI is also probing the explosion of fuel canisters and firework mortars packed into the bed of a Cybertruck outside President-elect Donald Trump’s property near the iconic Las Vegas Strip that killed the driver and left seven bystanders with minor injuries, officials said.
At a press briefing Wednesday evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the truck had been rented in Colorado. An electronic license plate reader recorded the Cybertruck arriving in Las Vegas at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, McMahill said.
Investigation
Law enforcement officials told The Times that Jabbar was wearing body armor. Investigators recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle after the shootout, a law enforcement official said.
Raia said Thursday that the FBI discovered five videos posted early morning New Year’s Day, hours before the attack, in which he stated he had joined ISIS before this summer.
Conclusion
The attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas are being investigated as acts of terrorism, and authorities are working to determine if there is a link between the two incidents.
FAQs
Q: What happened in New Orleans?
A: A rented pickup truck driven by Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring 35 others.
Q: What happened in Las Vegas?
A: A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a Trump hotel, killing the driver and injuring seven bystanders.
Q: Are the two incidents linked?
A: Authorities are investigating a possible link between the two incidents, but no definitive connection has been made.
Q: What is the background of the suspects?
A: Both suspects had backgrounds in the U.S. military. Jabbar was a former Army staff sergeant, and the driver of the Cybertruck was a member of the Army’s elite Green Berets.
Q: What is the current status of the investigation?
A: The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine if there is a link between the two incidents.
