Confirms New Orleans attacker posted video indicating he was inspired by Islamic State
US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that law enforcement is investigating whether there are links between the New Orleans rampage that killed at least 15 people and the explosion of a Tesla vehicle outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
“We are following the explosion of a (Tesla) Cybertruck in front of the Trump Hotel. Law enforcement and intelligence are looking into this, including whether there is any possible connection to the New Orleans attack,” the US president said in a brief address to the nation.
Regarding the incident in New Orleans, Biden stressed that the attacker was a US citizen born in Texas who served in the US Army “for many years,” while also being in the Armed Forces reserve “until a few years ago.”
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also informed me that, a few hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media in which he indicated that he was inspired by the expression of the desire to kill of the Islamic State,” he said before recalling that the authorities found a flag of said jihadist group in the vehicle that he rented to carry out this attack.
In addition, he indicated that possible explosives were found in the vehicle and in the vicinity, but he stressed that “the situation is very fluid and the investigation is in the preliminary phase,” so investigators “will continue to look for connections” and co-conspirators, but he asked to avoid “drawing hasty conclusions.”
Biden has ordered the attorney general, the director of the FBI, the secretary of Homeland Security, the head of the National Anti-Terrorism Center and the Intelligence community to “work intensively” until they have “complete” information. “Once we have that information, I will share it as soon as we can confirm it,” he added.
Finally, he has asked his team to ensure that “all” resources are “available to federal, state and local law enforcement to complete the investigation in New Orleans quickly” and ensure that there is “no remaining threat to the American people.”
“We will support New Orleans as it begins this arduous task of healing. New Orleans is a place unlike any other in the world. It is a city full of charm and joy, which is why so many people around the world love New Orleans. It is culture and, above all, it is people. That is why I know that, even though this person has committed a terrible attack against the city, the spirit of our New Orleans will never, ever, ever be defeated. It will always shine,” he said.
His words come after a driver sped off a truck into a crowd gathered to celebrate New Year’s on the busy Bourbon Street in New Orleans (in the state of Louisiana) and shot at least two officers. In total, 15 people have died and around 35 have been injured.
For his part, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has “strongly condemned” the attack and has conveyed his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, as well as to the Government and society. He has also wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
Hours later, a Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup truck caught fire next to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in one death (who was inside the vehicle) and seven injuries, in what is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.
The billionaire Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and X, has defended that his vehicle “contained the explosion and directed it upwards”, so that “not even the glass doors of the lobby (of the building) were broken”. “The evil fools chose the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack,” he asserted.
“We have confirmed that the explosion was caused by a large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the back of the rented Cybertruck and is not related to the vehicle itself,” he said after announcing that “the entire Tesla management team” was investigating the “matter”, since they had “never” “seen anything like it.”
For her part, Melania Trump, the wife of President-elect Donald Trump, said that “the incidents of violence” that have affected the country “are deeply worrying.” “The brutality must end. My most sincere thoughts and prayers are with the families who are experiencing such profound pain and loss. Let us fight for a future where peace prevails,” she said.
