(Bloomberg) -- A gruesome attack on revelers celebrating New Year’s in New Orleans thrust US domestic security back into the spotlight just weeks before Donald Trump is sworn in as president.
The tragedy, which killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more, set off panic in the historic French Quarter and postponed events, including a major football game. Hours later, a deadly explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas further rattled Americans ringing in 2025.
The Las Vegas suspect has been identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, according to sources familiar with the probe. Livelsberger, who reportedly served in the US Army, rented the Cybertruck through the Turo vehicle-sharing app — the same platform reportedly used by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in the New Orleans attack.
Authorities are investigating whether the two attacks are connected, though no definitive link has been established.
The incidents, which are both being probed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, prompted statements from Trump, President Joe Biden and other senior US officials. Elon Musk also weighed in, saying without offering evidence that the Cybertruck explosion appeared likely to be terrorism.
Trump, who is set to be sworn in on Jan. 20, has often blamed undocumented immigrants for crime in the US and suggested as such in a social media post early Wednesday. Jabbar, however, was an American and served in the Army.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday evening, Biden offered condolences to victims’ families. “The situation is very fluid,” Biden said, adding that the suspect in the New Orleans attack posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS. “The law enforcement intelligence community continue to look for any connections, associations, or co-conspirators.”
ISIS Flag
As authorities combed through the macabre scene on Wednesday in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter, they said they discovered an ISIS flag with the Ford pickup truck that barreled through the crowd.
Two improvised explosive devices were found in the suspect’s vehicle, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the developments who asked not to be identified. Additional potential IED’s were also found in the city’s French Quarter neighborhood, the FBI said.
The FBI also warned that Jabbar may not have acted alone. Officials said the 42-year-old from Texas exchanged fire with police and was killed at the scene.
By Wednesday afternoon, the FBI’s investigation had expanded to Houston and authorities were asking people for help with any leads. Officials said they’re working to determine any potential associations or affiliations Jabbar may have had with terrorist groups.
“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” Alethea Duncan, an FBI assistant special agent in charge in New Orleans, told reporters at a press conference. “We’re aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates. That’s why we need the public’s help.”
New Orleans is renowned for its New Year’s celebrations, which draw thousands to the bar-lined French Quarter each year, with live music and fireworks. The city had been set to host college football’s Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome on Wednesday with a parade through the French Quarter. It was postponed until Thursday.
Las Vegas
Meanwhile, in the Las Vegas incident, police said a Cybertruck pulled up to the entrance of the Trump Las Vegas hotel and that smoke appeared from the vehicle before a large explosion. Authorities have said the driver is dead and there are seven with minor injuries.
On X, Musk said that both the Cybertruck and the pickup truck used in New Orleans were rented from Turo, Musk said, adding that “perhaps they are linked in some way.”
Turo is a car-sharing marketplace that allows hosts to rent out their vehicles. A spokesperson for Turo said the company didn’t believe either renter involved in the attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat. The company is working with law enforcement authorities investigating both incidents.
Late Wednesday, Las Vegas authorities said there are no overt signs linking the explosion to international terrorism, but investigations are ongoing. “We are absolutely investigating any connection to what happened in New Orleans. We are not ruling anything out yet,” Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters. “There is no further threat to our community.”
Musk is assisting the investigation, providing vehicle data and charging station records, McMahill said.
--With assistance from Stephanie Stoughton.
(Updates with identity of Las Vegas suspect in third paragraph.)
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