CONTENT WARNING: Content in this article may be distressing.
In a shocking start to 2025, two separate incidents have rocked the United States, leaving authorities scrambling for answers and the public on edge.
A deadly truck attack in New Orleans and a Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas have dominated headlines, with investigators now probing potential links between the two events.
Here are all the updates we know so far:
New Orleans attacker acted alone
The FBI has done a backflip on its initial assessment of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans. They’ve now confirmed Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, the 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran who drove a pickup truck into revellers on Bourbon Street, acted alone. This news comes after a thorough review of surveillance footage, which showed Jabbar placing explosive devices in the area himself before changing clothes.
The attack, which claimed 15 lives and left dozens injured, is being investigated as an act of terrorism inspired by the Islamic State group.
Jabbar, who was killed in a shootout with police, had reportedly posted videos on social media expressing admiration for ISIS just hours before the attack.
“There were five videos posted on Jabbar’s Facebook account, which are time stamped beginning at 1:29 a.m. and the last at 3:02 a.m.,” Christopher Raia of the FBI said, per abc Eyewitness News.
“In the first video, Jabbar explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the ‘war between the believers and the disbelievers’.”
Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion lead suspect shot himself
In another disturbing incident, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel on Thursday in Las Vegas, killing the driver and injuring seven others.
The blast was caused by a combination of fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel in the truck’s bed, as reported by CNN.
The driver has been identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a highly decorated Green Beret (The United States Army Special Forces member) who had recently returned from an overseas assignment in Germany. Authorities revealed Livelsberger shot himself in the head moments before the explosion, per AP News.
The Cybertruck contained some of the explosion
Turns out the Cybertruck’s steel exterior actually helped contain the blast, potentially preventing more severe damage. Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill even went as far as to thank Elon Musk at a press conference and said, “I have to give credit specifically to Elon Musk”. Musk, who’s recently cosied up to Donald Trump‘s inner circle, provided authorities with additional information and video footage from charging stations to help track the driver’s movements.
”We have now confirmed that 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,” Musk also added in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“It’s not lost on us that it’s in front of the Trump building, that it’s a Tesla vehicle, but we don’t have information at this point that definitively tells us or suggests it was because of this particular ideology, or… any of the reasoning behind it,” McMahill added.
Both alleged attackers served at the same army base
While both perpetrators had connections to the US Army and spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, investigators have found “no definitive link” between the two attacks.
However, both the Cybertruck and the truck used in the New Orleans attack were rented through the car-sharing service called Turo, McMahill explained, per Reuters.
“We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat,” a Turo spokesperson told CNN.
Authorities are still digging into potential military connections and exploring all possible avenues.
Lead image: Getty images/AP Images
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