Two US-born army veterans – Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, and Matthew Livelsberger, 37 – have been identified as the suspects behind the attacks which have not yet been officially linked
14:07, 02 Jan 2025Updated 15:34, 02 Jan 2025
The suspected terror attacks occurred within hours of each other(Image: FBI/AFP via Getty Images)
America has been shook to its core by two suspected terror attacks that occurred within hours of each other as the nation celebrated New Year’s Day. At least 15 revellers were killed and 35 injured when a man drove an electric SUV down a crowded New Orleans street just after 3am (local time).
A few hours later in Las Vegas, a man parked a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fuel canisters and firework mortars at the entrance of Trump Hotel. The vehicle started smoking before it exploded, killing the driver and injuring seven people nearby.
US Police are understood to be investigating if the two events, seemingly targeting a normally jubilant holiday, are linked. President Joe Biden addressed the nation in the aftermath of the devastation on Wednesday but said “there was nothing to report” on evidence linking the two incidents..
At least 15 were killed and 35 injured by the SUV in New Orleans(Image: AP)
However, both suspects are reportedly US Army veterans who may have served in the same base. Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, has been identified as the suspected driver of the SUV that killed at least 15 in New Orleans while Matthew Livelsberger, 37, is allegedly the man behind the Cybertruck explosion.
Are the suspected terror attacks linked?
News outlets in America are reporting that officers are investigating whether the Cybertruck suspect served at the same military base as the suspect in the New Orleans ramming incident hours earlier. According to NBC affiliate KOAA News5, senior law enforcement sources have confirmed that US Army veteran Livelsberger was the Cybertruck driver.
The Denver Channel on X posted: “Multiple informed sources have confirmed to Denver7 Investigates that the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded earlier today in Las Vegas is Matthew Livelsberger who lived in Colorado Springs.
“Sources also confirming Livelsberger served at the same military base as the terrorist responsible for the attack in New Orleans and authorities are investigating a possible connection between the two men.”
Several social media users posted photos of what they claimed to be Livelsberger’s alleged LinkedIn profile. According to screenshots posted on X, he was an operations director and former special forces intelligence manager, however, the claims have not been verified.
New Orleans terror suspect Shamsud Din Jabbar
Shamsud Din Jabbaer is alleged to have driven a rented electric SUV carrying an ISIS flag down a packed Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 New Year revellers and injuring 35 more. The 42-year-old Texas native, who was dressed in military gear, then stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire on the crowd before police shot him dead.
The area around Bourbon Street is still closed by emergency services(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Suspected improvised explosive devices were also found in the area and the FBI said they were investigating any links to ISIS. US Army veteran Jim Mowrer said he saw an SUV “speeding” down the road and “running people over”.
He wrote on X: “Was on Bourbon Street in New Orleans went my wife tonight about 20 minutes ago. SUV came down speeding and running people over. Mass casualty event, tried to first aid but most were dead. Estimate double digit deaths.”
The FBI briefed President Joe Biden, who told reporters the suspect uploaded videos to social media “mere hours before the attack” indicating that he was inspired by IS and expressing a “desire to kill”.
Jabbar had worked in various roles in the US Army including in human resources and IT before he was discharged, according to his now removed LinkedIn profile. He was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.
Urgent warning for Brits flying to America
The UK Foreign Office has issued an urgent travel update for Brits planning a trip to the US, following a horrifying outbreak of violence in New Orleans that left 15 dead and many injured.
The updated guidance states: “On 1 January, an individual drove a vehicle into a crowd of people in New Orleans. Any British nationals in need of assistance should call +1 202 588 6500 or visit contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/emergency-help. In the UK, call +44 (0) 20 7008 5000.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has expressed his condolences and confirmed that consular staff in the US are ready to help any Brits caught up in the tragedy. He commented: “Our hearts go out to the people of New Orleans and to all those affected by this horrific attack. The FBI are now investigating this as a terrorist incident this is a fast-moving situation, and we continue to wait on further information.”
Brits caught up in the mayhem?
No British people have been reportedly killed or injured in either of the suspected terror events but there were a few in the area of the New Orleans attack. British holidaymaker Steve Hyde, 44, was celebrating his birthday in a bar near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Street when the car ploughed into crowds in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
One British holiday maker was in the area of the New Orleans suspected terror attack(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “We heard shots and saw people running past the window and didn’t really know what was going on… and then the sirens started.” In the hours that followed, a “heartbroken” Mr Hyde likened the city’s New Year’s celebrations that night to “what it is like for Mardi Gras”; a “massive party” with “crazy numbers of people”. He added: “It’s a bit chaotic [here]… but also at the same time it’s eerily quiet.”
Olivia Dunne and her boyfriend Paul Skenes were partying in New Orleans the night of the grim Bourbon Street terror attack, after the LSU gymnastics sensation shared chilling images of her New Year celebrations. Dunne, 22, posted two photos of a night out in Louisiana wearing the same outfit as in a TikTok video dated December 31.
The athlete and her MLB-star boyfriend Skenes were seen in a bar alongside Skene’s teammate Bubba Chandler and partner Allie Enright. A second image was also posted by Dunne, showing a packed Bourbon Street hours before the deadly attack, along with a heartbroken image.
Joe Biden’s statement in full
The US President said: “I have been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight.
“The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury.
“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind.
“I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”
Elon Musk’s response to Cybertruck blast
Elon Musk, a known ally of Donald Trump, addressed the incident on X, the social media platform he owns. “The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now,” he wrote. “We’ve never seen anything like this.”
US authorities are investigating links between the two suspected attacks(Image: Getty Images)
He later added: “We have now confirmed the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.”
He then mocked the driver, saying: “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards.”
The police have spoken about speculation that the attack may have been targeted at the hotel due to Musk’s closeness with Trump.
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