US President Joe Biden says on Jan. 2, 2025 he learned from intelligence meetings that the US Army veteran who drove a truck into a crowd of New Year's Day revelers had pledged allegiance to Islamic State, but acted alone in the attack that killed at least 14 people. The suspect, who the FBI said was shot dead at the scene after firing at police, has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texan who once served in Afghanistan. He drove from Houston to New Orleans on Dec. 31, 2024 and posted five videos on Facebook between 1:29 a.m. and 3:02 a.m. on the morning of the attack in which he said he supported IS, the Islamic militant group with fighters in Iraq and Syria, the FBI said. Biden said The FBI said there appeared to be no link between the attack in New Orleans and the incident in Las Vegas on the same day in which a Tesla Cybertruck packed with gasoline canisters and large firework mortars exploded in flames outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on Jan. 20.
US NETWORK POOL / REUTERS
