US authorities probing possible link between truck attack and cybertruck blast

US authorities are investigating a potential link between a pickup truck attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a cybertruck explosion at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Anadolu Agency reported.

In the New Orleans incident, a white F-150 pickup truck ploughed through the heart of the French Quarter at around 3.15am on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 30 others.

US President Joe Biden confirmed that his administration is also monitoring the explosion outside the Trump hotel which killed one individual.

“Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans,” he said in an address from the White House.

Inspired by IS

The FBI identified the New Orleans truck attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas.

“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates,” Alethea Duncan, the FBI assistant special agent in charge of the New Orleans field office, told reporters at a press briefing.

“We cannot go into details about the subject's history. What I can tell you is the person was an army veteran.

“We believe he was honorably discharged, but we're working through this process, figuring out all this information,” Duncan added.

Explosives discovered

Citing FBI officials, Biden said that Jabbar, hours before the attack, posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by the Islamic State (IS) and expressed his desire to kill.

“The IS flag was found in his vehicle, which he had rented to carry out this attack. Possible explosives were found in the vehicle as well, and more explosives were found nearby.

“The situation is very fluid, and the investigation is in its preliminary stage,” said the president.

Biden said that law enforcement and the intelligence community are continuing to look for any connections, associations or co-conspirators in the New Orleans attack.

He urged the public to not jump to conclusions as the probe was ongoing.

“I directed my team to make sure every resource is made available to federal, state and local law enforcement to complete the investigation in New Orleans quickly and to make sure there is no remaining threat to the American people,” he added.

Bystanders injured in explosion

In Las Vegas, an individual has been confirmed dead after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel.

The deceased individual was inside the vehicle at the time of the blast, but their identity and gender were not immediately clear, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press conference.

Seven bystanders were injured in the explosion.

Videos posted on social media appear to show the vehicle engulfed in an inferno amid multiple small explosions and the sound of what appears to be fireworks.

Earlier, Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested a possible connection between the explosion in Las Vegas and the attack in New Orleans, with both vehicles reportedly rented through the Turo app.

- Bernama

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