The New Orleans attack perpetrator, a US Army veteran, pledged allegiance to ISIS, a group that has encouraged vehicle attacks since 2014, according to ABC News.
Following the deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, US law enforcement agencies, based on a joint FBI and DHS intelligence bulletin reported by ABC, fear copycat attacks.
On January 1st, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas resident, drove a rented truck into a New Year’s crowd, killing 14 and injuring approximately 35. After the crash, a shootout with police ensued, resulting in Jabbar’s death. An ISIS flag was found on the truck, and a pre-attack video showed Jabbar’s ISIS affiliation.
The bulletin, ABC reports, highlights ISIS’s promotion of vehicle ramming attacks since 2014, and a recent increase in calls for simple, high-casualty attacks, especially since the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The bulletin reportedly advises law enforcement on identifying potential attacks, including surveillance activity and the fraudulent use of documents or credit for vehicle rentals. While Jabbar’s motives are linked to ISIS, there’s no evidence of accomplices.
The January 1st attack investigation uncovered bomb-making materials at Jabbar’s Houston residence. Authorities have stated they don’t suspect further involvement.
A notable example of an ISIS-inspired vehicle attack occurred in Nice, France in 2016, resulting in 86 deaths and 458 injuries.
Last year, a car attack at a Magdeburg, Germany Christmas market, perpetrated by a Saudi man, killed five, including a child, and injured over 200. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser suggested the perpetrator may have been mentally ill.