Diyar Guldogan
02 January 2025•Update: 03 January 2025
WASHINGTON
There is "no definitive link” between the New Year’s Day deadly New Orleans attack and a vehicle explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, an FBI official said Thursday.
"At this point, there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas," FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia told reporters.
The remarks came after a driver intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. The suspect was identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a native of the state of Texas, according to the FBI.
In a separate incident in Las Vegas on the same day, a Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel killed one person and injured seven others. Media reports identified the suspect as Matthew Livelsberger, 37, a US Army veteran.
Raia called the attack in New Orleans "an act of terrorism."
"It was premeditated and an evil act," he added.
FBI does not assess anyone else involved in New Orleans attack
"I want to be clear on, we do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved in this attack, except for Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the subject you've already been briefed on," said Raia.
Jabbar, 42, a former US Army staff sergeant, was killed during an exchange of gunfire with responding police officers.
Jabbar "was 100% inspired" by the ISIS/Daesh terror group, said the official, adding the bureau was still investigating Jabbar's "path to radicalization."
"As you know, we recovered an ISIS flag from the back of the vehicle. Jabbar declared his support for the terrorist group on social media ... as he made his way to New Orleans," said Raia.
He stressed that Jabbar drove from Houston to New Orleans on the evening of the 31st and posted videos to Facebook that proclaimed his support for ISIS, and provided his last will and testament.
"There were five videos posted on Jabbar's Facebook account ... In the first video, Jabbar explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers.' Additionally, he stated he had joined ISIS before this summer," Raia said.
Raia said three mobile phones linked to Jabbar have been recovered, and "digital media exploitation is a priority to see what is on the devices and determine if there are any other potential leads."
Additionally, he said the FBI recovered two laptops and is currently reviewing them for potential leads.
The FBI does not believe that the public is in danger around New Orleans, he said.
New Orleans officials said the Sugar Bowl college football game that was originally scheduled for Wednesday night would take place later Thursday.
