President Joe Biden announced that law enforcement officials are investigating the recent attack in New Orleans, which left at least 15 people dead, and a separate explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas.
New Orleans Attack: The attack occurred around 3:15 AM local time on January 1st near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets in the French Quarter. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a Ford pickup truck through crowds, causing significant casualties. Jabbar, an American citizen born in Texas and a former US Army serviceman, was killed after exchanging fire with law enforcement. Two officers were injured but are in stable condition. The FBI found two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the suspect’s vehicle and additional possible IEDs in the French Quarter neighborhood. An ISIS flag was also found in the vehicle, and the FBI is investigating Jabbar’s potential associations with terrorist groups.
Las Vegas Explosion: In a separate incident, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside President-elect Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in one fatality and seven injuries. The explosion occurred when smoke appeared from the vehicle before a large blast. The driver was killed, and authorities are investigating any possible connection to the New Orleans attack. Both vehicles involved in the incidents were rented from the car-sharing marketplace Turo.
Presidential Response: President Biden, speaking from Camp David, called the violence in New Orleans a “despicable attack” and emphasized the importance of allowing the investigation to proceed before drawing conclusions. He assured the public that law enforcement and intelligence communities are diligently investigating any potential connections, associations, or co-conspirators involved in these incidents. The president also spoke with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to offer federal support and received briefings on both incidents throughout the day.
Trump’s Statement: President-elect Trump vowed to support New Orleans as officials and residents “investigate and recover from this act of pure evil.” He also used the incident to criticize border security and crime, suggesting that the suspect may have been a migrant before his identity was confirmed.
Ongoing Investigation: The FBI is leading the investigation to determine the motives behind the New Orleans attack and whether there are any additional threats to public safety. The agency is also examining potential links between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion. The situation remains fluid, and further updates are expected as the investigations progress. The Sugar Bowl college football game, scheduled for that evening in New Orleans, has been postponed.