Similarities emerge between suspects in New Orleans, Las Vegas attacks

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The suspect of a deadly truck attack in New Orleans and the suspect of a truck explosion in Las Vegas used the same car rental app to obtain vehicles.

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Investigators are looking into a possible connection between the two separate incidents that took place on New Year’s Day. According to the FBI’s Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia, there is “no definitive link” between the two attacks, per the New York Times, but it was not impossible.

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In the early hours of Wednesday morning, around 3:15 a.m., a suspect identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar allegedly ran over pedestrians celebrating on Bourbon Street in New Orleans with a truck, NBC News reported. It was initially reported 15 people were killed, but the number was brought down to 14 as of Thursday afternoon, the New York Times reported. The suspect was shot dead by police.

“We are now 24 hours since this tragic event. We need to continue to hold up these families in our prayers because they are going to need it,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said in a post on X on Thursday morning.

Hours after the truck attack on Wednesday, around 8:30 a.m., a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver of the vehicle died, according to police, and seven others were injured, Las Vegas police said in a post on X.

“The truck’s bed contained gasoline tanks, camping fuel, and large firework mortars,” police said. “Current findings suggest this was an isolated incident with no indication of a larger plan.”

On Thursday, sources told ABC News affiliate Denver7 that the Tesla’s driver was identified as Colorado resident Matthew Livelsberger. Las Vegas media outlet KTNV and Newsweek reported his identity as well.

Suspects used vehicle rental service Turo, app confirms

The suspects used Turo, a vehicle rental app, to obtain the truck and the truck respectively. On Jan. 1, the company posted a statement on its website, saying they were “devastated by these horrible incidents.”

“Our trust and safety team is actively partnering with law enforcement authorities to share any information that could be helpful in their investigations. We do not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat, and we are not currently aware of any information that indicates the two incidents are related,” per the statement.

“Turo is dedicated to fostering a trustworthy marketplace. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and safety technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals.”

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“The truck was rented in Colorado via Turo and tracked through Tesla charging stations,” according to Las Vegas police.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the Cybertruck “limited the damage that occurred” in the valet area of the Trump Hotel because most of the blast went “up through the truck and out.” The glass doors at the front of the hotel “were not even broken,” he said.

Suspects served in the U.S. military

Livelsberger, the suspect in the Tesla explosion, was a U.S. military veteran.

A LinkedIn profile of a man with the same name listed his location as the Greater Colorado Springs area. The profile listed the U.S. Army as his workplace for the past 19 years. His latest role was as a remote and autonomous systems manager.

According to Denver7, Livelsberger served at the same base as Jabbar.

Jabbar, the suspect in the truck attack, served from 2007 to 2015 as a specialist in human resource and in information technology, the New York Times reported, and was once deployed to Afghanistan.

He served in the Army Reserve until January 2020. At the time of his departure, he had the rank of staff sergeant.

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How it happened in New Orleans

In a premeditated act, the FBI said Jabbar rented a pickup truck in Houston on Dec. 30, 2024, CNN reported. He arrived in New Orleans on the evening of Dec. 31 and allegedly planted improvised explosive devices at two locations. He then posted videos on Facebook saying his intentions were to “harm” his family but he later changed his mind. He also said he had joined terrorist organization ISIS before the summer, said the FBI’s deputy assistant director, per the publication.

New Orleans police released a statement saying that multiple law enforcement officers responded to a report of a vehicle having driven into a crowd of pedestrians on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 1.

“After the vehicle came to a stop, the suspect reportedly opened fire on responding officers, who returned fire. The victim was struck and subsequently declared deceased on scene. Further information on the suspect is not currently available for release,” the statement said.

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