FBI Calls Veteran Attackers In New Orleans CITING To ISIS But Acting Alone

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Tony Webster)

JAKARTA - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday said US Army veterans who rammed a truck into a crowd of people during the New Year's Eve in New Orleans were ISIS supporters, but he acted alone in an incident that killed at least 14 people.

The suspect, who the FBI said was shot dead at the scene after shooting at police, was identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas resident who had served in Afghanistan.

He was driving from Houston to New Orleans on December 31. In the morning of the attack, between 01.29 and 03.02, he uploaded five videos on Facebook expressing his support for ISIS, the FBI said.

In his first video, Jabbar said he had previously planned to hurt his family and friends, but feared media coverage would not focus on "war between believers and infidels," FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia told a news conference.

Jabbar also said in the video that he had joined ISIS before last summer and gave his final will, Raisa said.

"This is an act of terrorism," said Raia.

"It was planned beforehand and was an evil act. The FBI is still investigating the path to Jabbar's radicalization, but the evidence reviewed so far shows he is clearly inspired by ISIS," Raia explained.

Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division David Scott told US House members that Jabbar was not on the government's watch list. The FBI also found no evidence he was directed by any foreign individuals or groups.

The FBI said there appeared to be no link between the attack on New Orleans and the incident in Las Vegas on the same day, when a chartered Tesla Cybertruck filled with gas cylinders and large fireworks exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

Tesla driver, an active duty soldier in the US Army, shot himself moments before the explosion, Las Vegas police said.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage shows Jabbar placing two homemade explosive devices in the cooler hours before the attack at the intersection aroundUR Street, Raia said.

Both bombs were 'saved' at the scene.

The attack, which took place in New Orleans' famous New Orleans night entertainment district, has made law enforcement officials promise increased security.

Authorities in other US cities say they have stepped up security, including Trump Tower and Times Square in New York City, although there are no direct threats.

In Washington, police also said they had stepped up their attendance as the capital prepared to host three major events this month: Congress's presidential election victory certification on January 6, former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral on January 9 and Trump's inauguration on January 20.

Separately, US President Joe Biden condemned what he called an "haraor" act.

"We will continue to pursue ISIS and other terrorist organizations relentlessly wherever they are, and they will find no safe haven here," President Biden said, referring to ISIS.