FBI says New Orleans, Las Vegas attacks don't appear coordinated

Nacha Cattan, Chris Strohm and Myles Miller, Bloomberg News on Jan 2, 2025

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Investigators say they haven’t found evidence linking separate deadly attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, as the FBI continues to probe two incidents that rattled Americans as they rang in 2025.

The tragedies, which occurred just hours apart early on Jan. 1, have prompted heightened concerns over U.S. security less than three weeks before Donald Trump is set to take over as president. Trump, President Joe Biden and congressional leaders have all weighed in on the events and authorities called the New Orleans attack an act of terrorism.

“At this point there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas,” Federal Bureau of Investigation deputy assistant director Christopher Raia told a news conference.

Officials at press conference in Las Vegas added that authorities are still on the lookout for any potential links.

Biden at the White House on Thursday said that he’s directed authorities to accelerate their investigations into both attacks.

“Federal law enforcement and the intelligence community are actively investigating any foreign or domestic contacts and connection that could possibly be relevant to the attack,” Biden said, adding that “as of now they have not found evidence” of a link between the suspects in the two attacks.

The New Orleans assault, in which a truck plowed into a crowded French Quarter street during New Year’s celebrations, left 15 people dead and more than 30 injured.

The suspect identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar was killed at the scene after a confrontation with law enforcement. Authorities said they discovered two improvised explosive devices in coolers near the scene of the attack and an ISIS flag in Jabbar’s vehicle.

Investigators believe Jabbar picked up the rented Ford truck in Houston on Dec. 30 before driving to New Orleans the next day. They said he posted several videos to an online platform proclaiming support for ISIS and claiming he had joined the group earlier in the summer.

The FBI recovered three mobile phones and two laptops used by Jabbar, which investigators are exploiting for intelligence, Raia said. As a potential motive, Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas who served in the military, posted a video on social media saying there is a “war between the believers and disbelievers.”

‘Horrific Act’

However, investigators haven’t found any evidence at this time showing that ISIS directed the attack, according to a U.S. official who asked not to be identified speaking about details of the investigation.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry condemned the attack as a “horrific act of violence” and said that more than 1,000 law enforcement officers are analyzing vast amounts of data and surveillance footage.

Although the investigation is ongoing, by Thursday U.S. officials had determined that Jabbar acted alone. Raia, the FBI official, told reporters that officials were confident that Jabbar didn’t have accomplices. “We do not believe the public is in any danger around any of these locations,” he said.

In Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump Las Vegas hotel hours later, leaving the driver dead and injuring seven others.

The driver, Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, was on leave from the U.S. Army from his post in Germany.

Livelsberger rented the Cybertruck in Denver on Dec. 28 and drove to Las Vegas, where the vehicle exploded 17 seconds after he arrived at the hotel valet, according to police.

At a press conference on Thursday, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the driver sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the explosion, with a handgun found at his feet.

The body was burned beyond recognition, and authorities are awaiting medical records or DNA to conclusively confirm his identity. However, tattoos and personal documents, including his military ID, have helped authorities identify him as Livelsberger, said McMahill.

Two semi-automatic firearms purchased legally on Dec. 30 were also recovered from the scene.

While McMahill noted there are “very strange” similarities between both New Orleans and Las Vegas suspects, officials said there’s currently no information linking the suspect to an international terrorist group.

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—With assistance from Stephanie Stoughton, John Gittelsohn, Hadriana Lowenkron and Skylar Woodhouse.