Unpacking the New Year’s Day attacks
Images: Matthew Hinton/AP | EyePress News
On New Year’s Day, seven hours and ~1,500 miles apart, America experienced a pair of seemingly isolated public attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas that killed and injured dozens of bystanders.
Here’s what happened: Around 3:15 am CT on January 1, the driver of a pickup truck rammed into a crowd of people on New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street, then exited the truck and began shooting before he was killed by return fire from police. As of late yesterday, the official death toll from the attack stood at 14 people (not including the suspect), with 35 others injured.
- Authorities identified the suspected driver as a 42-year-old male US Army veteran who had multiple weapons inside the truck, alongside an Islamic State (ISIS) flag.
- In remarks on Wednesday, President Biden said the suspect “posted videos to social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill."
- The FBI said Thursday they now believe the suspect acted alone, reversing its position from a day earlier that he likely worked with others.
The New Orleans attack was soon followed by a car explosion in Vegas. Around 10:40 am CT, a Tesla Cybertruck stuffed with a rudimentary explosive device – made from consumer-grade fireworks, mortars, and aerial shells – was driven into the valet area of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, where it sat for 15-20 seconds before exploding. The driver was killed and seven people nearby sustained minor injuries.
- Authorities identified the driver as a 37-year-old male member of the US Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets), and said he appears to have shot himself in the head before the explosion.
Are the two incidents connected? In a press conference yesterday afternoon, President Biden said there’s currently no evidence of any link between the Vegas explosion and the New Orleans attack hours earlier. Turo, the car-sharing app through which vehicles in both attacks were rented, says it's fully cooperating with authorities.
Looking ahead…Biden said the FBI and DOD are investigating the Vegas explosion suspect’s possible motives, including any potential ties to the New Orleans suspect via the US military or otherwise.
📊 Flash poll (long-form): Do you have any thoughts on the two New Year's Day attacks? The most thoughtful and insightful responses will be featured in Monday’s newsletter.
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that despite what some Senate Republicans are saying, the quick approval of Trump’s choices for top national security positions won’t solve what happened in the New Year’s Day attacks.
- Others contend that it is a sad sign of our times that misguided extremists seek to bring attention to their cause by targeting innocents, and now is the time to reaffirm that terror will not win and that the bonds of our common humanity are strong.
- “Trump’s Cabinet Picks Won’t Solve What Happened in New Orleans” –David Firestone, NY Times
- “Terror strikes at New Orleans' heart, a city where world comes to forget its cares” –New Orleans Advocate Editorial Board
- “A familiar horror marks an anxious new year” –The Guardian Editorial Board
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that the attacks raise concerns about the porous US border with Mexico that we know people on the terror watch list have passed through in recent years, and enhance the importance of stopping Islamist terror groups abroad.
- Others contend that the New Year’s Day attacks are a serious reminder for everyone, from municipal officials in charge of keeping streets secure during a big event to government leaders, to take warnings of ISIS’s resurgence seriously.
- “​​Terror Strikes New Orleans” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “NoLa attack a security wake-up call for cities” –Boston Herald Editorial Board
- “An unsettling start to 2025” –Chicago Tribune Editorial Board
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