Anamika Dey, editor
Brief news
- Authorities are investigating a potential military connection between the suspect in a New Orleans car-ramming incident and a deceased individual linked to a Tesla explosion in Las Vegas, with the FBI treating it as a possible terrorist attack.
- The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was a U.S. Army veteran, and law enforcement is examining connections between the vehicles used in both incidents, which were rented from Turo.
- The New Orleans attack resulted in 15 deaths and raised concerns about pedestrian safety measures, as bollards meant to protect the area were still under construction.
Detailed news
Two law enforcement sources who are knowledgeable with the incidents told NBC News that the authorities are looking into the possibility of a military connection between the suspect in the car-ramming incident in New Orleans and the individual who passed away when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day.
The potential link was just one of the threads that officials pulled on Thursday. They were also searching a site in Texas, which was a day after a man drove a pick-up truck flying an ISIS flag into New Orleans’ busy Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day, resulting in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to at least 30 others.
It is being investigated by the FBI as a possible terrorist attack. In an interview with NBC News’s “TODAY” show on Thursday, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stated that the authorities are continuing their investigation into “people of interest.”
The explosion that occurred in Las Vegas prompted increased security around Trump towers in New York and Chicago, which occurred many hours after the attack that took place in New Orleans. President-elect Donald Trump, who is scheduled to take office later this month, has considered Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, to be one of his most trusted advisors.
According to statements made by Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday, “law enforcement and the intelligence community” are conducting an investigation to determine “whether there is any possible connection” between the instances.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a suspect in New Orleans, was a veteran of the United States Army, a resident of Texas, and a citizen of the United States. He was killed in a following gunfight with police. Between the years 2006 and 2020, he served in the departments of human resources and information technology for the military, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2009.
According to two law enforcement sources who are acquainted with the investigation, the suspect in the bomb that occurred at the Trump tower in Las Vegas, who has not been officially identified by law enforcement, also had previous experience in the military. They did not provide any further details, highlighting the fact that the inquiry was still in progress.
The two vehicles were hired from the same firm, Turo, and authorities are investigating whether or if there is a connection between the two vehicles about this matter. According to Turo, the company is “actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents during this investigation.”
When it came to New Orleans, it was supposed to be a night of celebration on one of the most famous party streets in the country. This street is located in the French Quarter and is a popular tourist area that is filled with clubs and restaurants. Nevertheless, at approximately 3:15 in the morning, it turned into a horrifying scene, with witnesses and footage shared on social media describing bloodied and twisted bodies that were scattered over the road as the truck sped down the street before colliding with itself.
Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick of the Police Department stated during a press conference that the individual in question was attempting to run over as many people as he possibly could. He had a resolute determination to bring about the destruction and the destruction that he caused.
As more information about the fatalities became available, and as mourners gathered to the scene to lay flowers, questions were raised concerning the manner in which the vehicle was able to circumvent obstacles that were supposed to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Bollards were not installed, according to Mayor LaToya Cantrell, since they were still in the process of being constructed. It was stated by her that the project was almost finished, and it was anticipated that it would be finished before New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl in February.
Later on Wednesday, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office announced that it was conducting a court-authorized search of a place in Houston. The search was an operation that included a group of counterterrorism detectives, negotiators, bomb technicians, and a SWAT squad from the FBI. Jabbar was a resident of Texas.
An update provided by the FBI Houston stated that there have been no arrests made as of late Wednesday.
Murrill, the attorney general of Louisiana, stated to NBC News that detectives had a strong suspicion that explosive devices connected to the attack in New Orleans were manufactured in an Airbnb in the city that was rented by people who were involved. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a possible improvised explosive device was found inside the vehicle, and additional potential IEDs were found in the French Quarter.
In the meantime, the Sugar Bowl college football game between Georgia and Notre Dame is anticipated to take place on Thursday in the Superdome in New Orleans. The game was originally slated to take place on Wednesday evening, but it was moved to Thursday.
Source : CNBC news
