Less than 24 hours after saying it did not believe the attacker acted alone, the FBI now speaks of a “lone terrorist”
The suspect in the deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street, in New Orleans, in the United States, in the early hours of Wednesday, is probably a lone terrorist with no known accomplices, the FBI announced at a press conference.
According to Deputy Director Christopher Raia of the Counter-Terrorism Division, “we do not assess, at this time, that anyone else is involved in this attack other than Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the individual about whom they have already been briefed.”
The current statement contradicts the statement made less than 24 hours earlier by Special Agent Alethea Duncan: “We do not believe Jabbar acted alone. We are aggressively following all leads, including those of his known associates.”
Investigators were analyzing whether other people could be responsible for placing improvised explosive devices, separate from the truck that, according to them, Shamsud-Din Jabbar used to run over the crowd on New Year’s Day.
At the beginning of the press conference, Christopher Raia began by confirming that the collision in question was based on “a terrorist act”, and described it as “premeditated and malicious”. “My goal is to be as transparent as possible with you about what we have discovered so far. First of all, let me be very clear: this was an act of terrorism,” the FBI spokesperson told reporters.
There is no “definitive link” between attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas
So far, a definitive link between the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas has not been found, the FBI said, considering, however, the fact that the investigation is still “in a very early stage.”
“As you know, there is also a Las Vegas investigation. We are following all potential leads and not ruling out any possibilities. However, at this time, there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and what happened in Las Vegas. And , once again, to conclude, I would like to reiterate what I said at the beginning: it is a very early phase in an investigation like this”, explained Christopher Raia.
The man linked to the Tesla Cybertruck rental that exploded outside a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday is a U.S. Special Forces soldier assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group, according to four North American officials. -Americans.
The driver of the Cybertruck was killed and seven other people nearby were injured on New Year’s Eve when a combination of fireworks, gas canisters and camping fuel in the vehicle’s bed was detonated by a device controlled by the driver, authorities said.
The FBI is investigating whether the explosion is linked to terrorism and highlighted the implications of the Tesla vehicle and the hotel’s name.
