Washington DC [US]: US President Joe Biden has directed law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate potential links between the New Orleans car-ramming attack and the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion, both involving vehicles rented through the car-sharing platform Turo.
Speaking on Wednesday, Biden said:
“We’re tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. 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 President assured that all necessary resources are being deployed to safeguard public safety:
“I directed my team to make sure 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.”
New Orleans Attack
The New Orleans attack, described by the FBI as an “act of terrorism,” involved Shamsud Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran and Texas resident, who rammed a rented Ford F-150 Lightning truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations, killing 15 and injuring dozens.
Biden disclosed that Jabbar had posted ISIS-inspired videos online hours before the attack:
“The FBI has reported to me that the killer was an American citizen, born in Texas. He served in the US Army and the Army Reserve. Hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill.”
Authorities recovered an ISIS flag and suspected explosives in Jabbar’s vehicle.
Las Vegas Explosion
Hours after the New Orleans attack, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing one and injuring seven. The vehicle contained fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel connected to a detonation system.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, also suggested a link between the two incidents, noting that both vehicles were rented through Turo:
“Appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way,” Musk wrote on X.
Musk clarified that the explosion in Las Vegas was caused by external explosives carried in the Cybertruck’s bed and not due to the vehicle itself.
Investigation Underway
Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, confirmed the agency is investigating both incidents to determine any connection.
Authorities are focusing on potential links between the two events, as well as any broader threats to public safety.