The attacker acted alone, no proven link with the Las Vegas incident-FBI

par Brian Thevenot

NEW Orleans, La. (Reuters) – The U.S. Army veteran who mowed down dozens of people while driving a pickup truck in New Orleans on New Year's Eve had pledged allegiance to the state group (IS) but acted alone, the FBI said Thursday, adding that there was no proven link to the explosion of a Cybertruck vehicle that occurred hours later in Las Vegas.

The suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old American citizen residing in Texas, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police after hitting a crowd gathered on Rue Bourbon, in the Vieux Carré Français of New Orleans, killing at least 14 people and injuring around 30 others.

According to the FBI, Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove to New Orleans from Houston on December 31.

He then published on social networks, between 1:29 a.m. and 3:02 a.m., just before the attack, five videos in which he said he supported IS.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar explains in the first video that he initially planned to attack family members and friends, but was concerned that media coverage of such an attack would not focus on the ” war between believers and unbelievers,” an FBI official said.

During a press conference, Christopher Raia added that the suspect also explains in the videos that he joined ISIS before the summer and expresses his last wishes there.

“It's an act of terrorism. It was premeditated, an evil act,” he said.

The FBI also said there appeared to be no connection between this attack and the explosion the same day of a Tesla Cybertruck vehicle parked in front of the Trump hotel in Las Vegas, three weeks before the inauguration. of American President-elect Donald Trump.

Postponed for twenty-four hours following the attack, the “Sugar Bowl”, the American football university championship match which traditionally takes place on January 1, will take place this Thursday afternoon, the authorities confirmed.

New Orleans is also scheduled to host the “Super Bowl” in February, the flagship event of the North American American football (NFL) championship.

Across the United States, security has been increased in various locations. New York authorities said they had increased surveillance of Trump Tower and Times Square, while specifying that there was no immediate threat.

Police have also increased their presence in Washington, as three major events are planned in the US capital this month: the certification by Congress of the results of the presidential election in November (January 6), the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter (January 9) and Donald Trump's inauguration (January 20).

(Reporting Brian Thevenot; French version Jean Terzian)