The US law enforcement authorities are investigating what they described as terrorist attacks, following two incidents that have rocked the nation since the start of the new year.
In the first incident, a 42-year-old former soldier, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, rammed his van into a crowd of revellers on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more on New Year’s Day.
The suspect has been identified as a Texas-born US citizen who served in Afghanistan for more about a decade.
“After hitting the crowd, he exited the vehicle and fired upon local law enforcement.
Law enforcement returned fire, and the subject was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Two law enforcement officers were injured and transported to a local hospital,” read a statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
Authorities said they’ve haven’t ruled out possibilities of other accomplices.
In the second incident, a Cybertruck exploded outside president-elect Donald Trump’s hotel, Trump Tower in Las Vegas, also on New Year’s Day.
Video footage showed the vehicle bursting into flames, and police said they later found that it had been filled with fuel and stashed with fireworks.
The driver has been named as 37-year-old army veteran, Matthew Livesberger, and was killed in the blast that left seven other people injured.
The Cybertruck is manufactured by Tesla, which is owned by billionaire businessmen and Trump supporter, Elon Musk, who is expected to be part of the incoming US-administration.
Musk posted immediately on X that the vehicle minimised the blast’s impact, saving lives and damage to the hotel.
“The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack.
Cybertruck contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards.
Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken,” posted the South African-born businessmen.
Authorities said they’re also investigating the incident as a terrorist attack, and whether it is linked to the New Orleans deadly attack.
Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden, has called for speedy investigations into the incidents.
“I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury.
I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind,” said Biden.
