Washington: The New Orleans attacker had posted videos indicating he was inspired by ISIS before he ploughed New Year’s eve revellers in a popular area. Investigations are on into possible links between this attack and the explosion of a Tesla cyber-truck outside a Trump organisation property in Las Vegas, which left several people injured.
“Mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill,” Biden said in an address to the nation from the presidential retreat of Camp David in the state of Maryland where he is spending the rest of the week. “The situation is very fluid, and the investigation has a preliminary stage.”
“Additionally, we’re tracking the explosion of a cyber truck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas,” the president added. “Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there’s any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans.”
The FBI, which is leading the New Orleans attack investigation, has identified the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas.
An ISIS flag was found in the vehicle, the FBI said, adding, it was working to determine the subject’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organisations.
As investigators were grappling with the devastating New Year’s eve attack in New Orleans in the southern state of Louisiana, where the death toll has gone up from previously reported 10 to 15, they were hit by the attack in Las Vegas.
Elon Musk, Tesla owner and a staunch Trump ally, indicated in a post on X, previously called Twitter, there was a link. “Appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo (Turo). Perhaps they are linked in some way.” He was referring to Turo, an app that allows car owners to rent out their vehicles much in the same way as AirBnb does for homeowners.
“I directed my team to make sure every resource, every resource, is made available to federal, state and local law enforcement to complete the investigation in New Orleans quickly, and to make sure there is no remaining threat to the American people,” Biden said in his address.
(IANS)
