Washington, D.C. [US]: US President Joe Biden disclosed that the New Orleans attacker, Shamsud Din Jabbar, had a remote detonator in his vehicle to activate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) he had planted in ice coolers in the French Quarter. This revelation comes as authorities continue their investigation into the New Year’s night attack.
The FBI recovered two IEDs placed by Jabbar in ice chests at nearby locations in the French Quarter before he drove his vehicle into a crowd on Bourbon Street. “They’ve established that the attacker is the same person who planted the explosives in those ice coolers. They assessed he had a remote detonator in his vehicle to set off those two ice chests,” Biden said, according to CNN.
The President also informed that 15 people, including the attacker, lost their lives in the incident. He reassured Americans of the government’s resolve to combat terrorism, stating, “We are going to relentlessly pursue ISIS and other terrorist organizations where they are, and they will find no safe haven here.”
Authorities have confirmed that Jabbar, who carried out the attack, was an ISIS supporter. An ISIS flag was discovered in his vehicle, and he had posted a series of videos online pledging his allegiance to the group.
President Biden announced plans to visit New Orleans, highlighting the administration’s commitment to addressing the aftermath of the attack.
Regarding potential links between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion, Biden mentioned that investigations are ongoing but no evidence of a connection has been found so far.
The Las Vegas incident involved a Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel, killing one person and injuring seven. Both vehicles involved in the two attacks were rented through the car-sharing platform Turo, prompting authorities to examine possible links between the cases.