New Orleans Attacker Influenced By ISIS; Potential Link To Las Vegas Explosion Under Probe: Biden

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The New Orleans attacker, who drove into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers, had posted social media videos suggesting he was inspired by ISIS. Authorities are investigating potential connections between this incident and an explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Trump Organization property in Las Vegas, which left several injured. “Mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS and expressing a desire to kill,” President Joe Biden said during an address from Camp David, where he is spending the week. He emphasized that the situation remains fluid and that the investigation is still in its early stages.

President Biden also highlighted the Las Vegas explosion, stating, “Additionally, we’re tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating whether there is any possible connection to the New Orleans attack.”

The FBI, leading the New Orleans investigation, identified the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas. An ISIS flag was discovered in the attacker’s vehicle, and investigators are examining potential links to terrorist organizations.

While grappling with the New Orleans attack, where the death toll has risen from 10 to 15, authorities were also confronted with the Las Vegas explosion.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a known Trump ally, hinted at a possible link between the incidents in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way,” Musk wrote. Turo is a car-sharing platform similar to Airbnb.

In his address, President Biden assured that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have been directed to allocate every resource necessary to expedite the investigations and ensure public safety.