 "New Orleans attacker had joined ISIS, worked alone and had no link to Las Vegas explosion: FBI")
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Thursday (January 2) that the Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who is suspected of ramming his rented truck into New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, has revealed that he had joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia told a press conference that Jabbar “drove from Houston to New Orleans on the evening of the 31st and he posted several videos to an online platform proclaiming his support for ISIS.”
In one 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.’”
Lone wolf attacker
The FBI said that it appears that Jabbar, 42, a US army veteran who was born in Texas, appears to have acted alone.
“We do not assess at this point that anyone else was involved in this attack except for Shamsud-Din Jabbar,” Raia said.
The Pentagon said the Texas-born Jabbar had served in the US Army as a human resources and IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, and then in the army reserve until 2020.
The FBI said that the attacker did plan on wreaking more havoc than he did.
“We did obtain surveillance footage showing Jabbar placing the devices where they were found,” Raia said of the bombs hidden in coolers, adding that they were left on Bourbon Street– the road which he later drove down– and another spot nearby.
Impact Shorts
View AllNo link with Las Vegas explosion
So far, the Bureau has not found any link between the New Orleans attack that killed at least 14 people and the Las Vegas explosion inside a Tesla cybertruck that took place outside of Trump hotel in the city.
The explosion killed at least one person and injured seven others.
With inputs from agencies
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