Early on New Year’s Day, a tragic scene unfolded on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as a vehicle plowed through the crowd, resulting in at least ten fatalities. Law enforcement officials from a variety of agencies quickly converged on the location to manage the aftermath. The suspect, allegedly responsible for the chaos, steered a vehicle into the bustling throng during the early morning hours of January 1, 2025.
Despite the severity of the incident, authorities announced on Thursday that they have yet to find a direct connection between this New Orleans attack and another concerning occurrence—a Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. “Currently, there’s no concrete evidence linking the New Orleans event with what happened in Las Vegas,” clarified Chris Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, in a press briefing held in New Orleans.
Amid various investigative efforts, officials are also probing a place in Texas. This follows a day after a shocking attack where a pick-up truck, adorned with an ISIS flag, wreaked havoc on New Orleans’ iconic Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The grim toll included 14 deaths and more than 30 injuries. The FBI is actively treating the case as a terrorist incident, with authorities continuing to look into individuals of interest, as New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick shared on NBC’s “TODAY” show.
In response to these threats, heightened security measures were implemented around Trump towers in both New York and Chicago, following the explosion in Las Vegas. Notably, Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, is a key advisor for President-elect Donald Trump, who is slated to assume office later in the month. President Joe Biden addressed the situation on Wednesday, stating that both “law enforcement and the intelligence community” are examining possible connections between these two distressing incidents.
The New Orleans suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, who perished in a subsequent shootout with the police, was identified as a U.S. national living in Texas and a veteran of the Army. His military career, spanning from 2006 to 2020, included roles in human resources and IT, alongside a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009. Similarly, the individual involved in the Las Vegas explosion was reported to have military experience, according to two law enforcement sources, though details remain slim as the investigation progresses.
In a twist, both vehicles tied to these incidents were rented from the same company, Turo. Law enforcement is delving into any potential connections here, with Turo actively cooperating with authorities in their twin investigations.
The bustling French Quarter of New Orleans, famous for its nightlife and lively atmosphere, turned into a horrifying scene filled with chaos and tragedy. The attack happened around 3:15 a.m., shattering what should have been a festive time. Witnesses and shared social media videos depict a horrifying spectacle of bloodied victims and mangled bodies scattered along the street, the truck wreaking havoc until it finally crashed.
“His clear intent was to harm as many people as he could,” expressed Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. “His actions were deliberately aimed at causing maximum destruction and chaos.”
The victims’ stories are beginning to emerge as mourners gather with floral tributes at the site, yet questions are arising about how the driver bypassed barriers intended to safeguard pedestrians. Mayor LaToya Cantrell noted that these protective bollards weren’t in place due to ongoing construction, with an expectation for completion before the city hosts the Super Bowl in February.
Jabbar, who called Texas his home, prompted further investigation in Houston by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, backed by an FBI SWAT team and other experts. Late Wednesday, the FBI’s Houston division stated no arrests had been made.
In another development, officials conjectured that explosive devices linked to the New Orleans incident may have been assembled in a rented Airbnb location. The truck reportedly housed a likely improvised explosive device, and similar potential devices surfaced in the French Quarter, according to the FBI.
Amid the city’s turmoil, plans for the Sugar Bowl college football game, featuring Georgia and Notre Dame, are proceeding on Thursday at the Superdome in New Orleans. The match had initially been slated for Wednesday evening but was pushed back.
