Authorities are investigating a possible link between the attack that killed 15 people in New Orleans and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas that occurred within hours on New Year’s Day.
President Biden said Wednesday that federal investigators are looking into the connection, but “there is nothing to report at this time.” According to people familiar with the investigation, both suspects are believed to be former members of the U.S. military, although the investigation is still in its early stages and no conclusions are expected at this point.
In New Orleans, federal authorities investigated whether a man who was drinking on Bourbon Street had an accomplice, but authorities said Thursday that no accomplices were found and that the suspect acted alone.
Law enforcement sources told the Times that what appeared to be two homemade pipe bombs with nails attached were found inside a blue cooler near two eateries on the famous street. It is said that it was discovered. Because of this, authorities believe someone other than the driver put them there, officials said.
Authorities said Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, drove a rented pickup truck with an Islamic State flag on the sidewalk and swerved around a police car that was positioned to block traffic. .
Authorities said police killed Jabbar after he got out of his truck and opened fire on officers.
Law enforcement officials told the Times that Jabbar was wearing a bulletproof vest. After the shootout, investigators recovered a handgun and an AR-style rifle, law enforcement officials said. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Jabbar joined the Army in 2007, served on active duty in human resources and information technology, and was deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, the military said. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 2015 and retired in 2020 with the rank of sergeant.
Biden said Wednesday night that the FBI had discovered a video the driver posted on social media hours before the attack in which he expressed a desire to kill people inspired by Islamic State.
In a YouTube video, Jabbar said he was born in Beaumont, Texas, and worked in human resources and information technology while in the Army. He described himself as a property manager and real estate agent.
The FBI also said fuel canisters and a fireworks mortar packed into the bed of a Cybertruck exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s compound near the iconic Las Vegas Strip, killing the driver and killing seven bystanders. Officials said they are also investigating an incident that resulted in minor injuries.
At a press conference Wednesday night, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the truck was rented in Colorado. An electronic license plate reader recorded the Cybertruck arriving in Las Vegas around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, McMahill said. McMahill said the truck drove up and down the Strip for about an hour, then pulled into a covered driveway outside the Trump Hotel and exploded about 15 seconds later.
McMahill said the department confirmed the name of the person who rented the Cybertruck but did not say whether that person was the driver who died in the explosion. He said the driver’s name will not be released until authorities have a “100% identification.”
Law enforcement officials told the Times that the car was seen on surveillance video driving past the valet section of Trump Tower and back up an hour before the incident. It stops at the front door before exploding. Sources said the video showed what appeared to be fireworks being set off during the fire. They are trying to find out whether the male driver who died was from the military.
The Associated Press identified him as Matthew Libersberger. Libersberger was a member of the Army’s elite Green Berets, a special forces unit that specializes in guerrilla warfare, the Army said in a statement.
McMahill said investigators have not yet determined how the fireworks and containers of gasoline and camping fuel in the back of the car were ignited.
McMahill said investigators are investigating whether the driver used the Tesla to intentionally target Trump’s property. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a close adviser to the president-elect.
The Cybertruck involved in the Las Vegas attack and the Ford pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack were both rented through Turo, a platform that allows vehicles to be rented directly from vehicle owners.
A company spokesperson said Tullo is cooperating with law enforcement but does not believe either renter “has a criminal history that would constitute a security threat.” .