Two of them were fatal.
On the first day of the new year, America was swept by a wave of violence, as a result of which 16 people were killed and dozens were injured. One of the incidents has already been classified by the FBI as a terrorist attack, while the other two are being thoroughly investigated and suspects are being sought.
What is known about the terrorist attacks in the US on January 1 and whether there is a connection between them – read the exclusive report from TSN.ua
Terrorist attack in New Orleans
On Wednesday, January 1, in the American city of New Orleans a pickup truck driver deliberately drove into a crowd at high speed during the New Year's celebration on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, CNN reports.
The terrorist attack occurred shortly after the onset of 2025 – at 3:15 local time.
The FBI classified the attack as a terrorist act, which killed 15 people and injured 30, including two police officers. The attacker died at the scene in a shootout with law enforcement officers.
The suspect in the case is known to be 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an American originally from Texas. He served in the US Army for ten years, in particular, he participated in one military mission in Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.
Jabbar made a number of videos before the attack, in which he said that he joined the terrorist group ISIS. In the car he was driving at the time of the attack, police found a flag of the organization, weapons, and an explosive device.
Several similar devices resembling pipe bombs were also found in the French Quarter that same night.
“An ISIS flag was found in the vehicle. The FBI is currently investigating possible ties and involvement of the subject with terrorist organizations,” the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
In particular, it does not include the possibility that the attacker did not act alone. The FBI also noted that the perpetrator most likely rented a car to commit the attack.
The Las Vegas Incident
On the same day in Las Vegas near the Trump International Hotel, which belongs to the newly elected US President Donald Trump, a Cybertruck electric car manufactured by Tesla exploded and caught fire.
After the fire alarm went off, people were evacuated from the hotel.
According to American media reports, the car arrived in Las Vegas at 7:30 am, an hour later it parked near the hotel, 15-20 seconds after stopping – exploded.
The explosion killed the driver of the vehicle and injured seven people.
Tesla owner Elon Musk said the explosion was caused by large fireworks and/or a bomb in the back of the rental car, and was not related to the vehicle itself.
“All telemetry from the vehicle was positive at the time of the explosion,” Musk said.
Las Vegas Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said “fuel canisters and large firework launchers” were found in the back of the truck, the Associated Press reports.
He noted that authorities know who rented the truck via the Turo app in Colorado, but the suspect's name will not be released until investigators determine whether he was the man who died.
However, some American media outlets suggest that it could have been 37-year-old Matthew Leavelsberger, who also had experience serving in the US Army.
At the same time, authorities are considering the incident as a potential terrorist attack and are continuing to investigate the motives for the explosion.
Shooting outside a nightclub in New York
A mass shooting occurred outside the Amazura nightclub in Queens, New York.
The incident occurred on January 1 at about 23:20 local time (06:20 Kyiv time), the Daily Mail reports.
According to the New York Times, a group of four men fired at least 30 shots into a crowd gathered outside a nightclub.
It is known that a closed party was held there in memory of a member of a local gang who was killed in October last year.
Ten young people were injured in the shooting: six women and four men.
At least three of the victims sought medical attention at a local hospital on their own. According to police, several more people were hospitalized, but none of them are in critical condition.
“The NYPD confirmed that law enforcement is searching for a gray sedan that may be connected to the shooting, but no suspects have yet been identified,” the publication writes.
What politicians are saying
Newly elected US president Donald Trumpsaid the deadly hit-and-run attack on New Year's Eve crowds in New Orleans confirms his assessment of migrant-related crime in America. He called the attack “an act of pure evil,” Politico reports.
“When I said that the criminals coming in were far worse than those in our country, that statement was repeatedly debunked by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” Trump wrote.
Current US President Joe Biden denied Trump's suggestion that the attack was related to “criminals coming in” to the US.
He confirmed that the attacker was an American citizen and was born in Texas.
Zelensky responded to the terrorist attack in USA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the terrorist attack in New Orleans
“We in Ukraine are shocked by the news of the attack in New Orleans, USA, which killed innocent people and injured many others,” he wrote on the X platform.
The President is confident that those responsible for the attack will be held accountable. In particular, on behalf of all Ukrainians, he expressed sincere condolences to the families of the victims.
Investigation looking for connection
American investigators are trying to establish whether the terrorist attack in New Orleans is connected to the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck near a hotel in Las Vegas.
According to The New York Times, it has not yet been established how the perpetrator of the terrorist attack in New Orleans and the person who rented the exploded car are connected.
But law enforcement officers still have one clue: the men chose easy targets and rented cars through the same budget car rental app, Turo.
“I “has directed his team to ensure that all federal, state, and local law enforcement resources are available to quickly complete the investigation in New Orleans and ensure that there is no further threat to the American people,” President Joe Biden said in a brief statement to reporters at Camp David.
At a press conference, Sheriff Kevin McMahil of the Las Vegas Police Department said the investigation's primary theory is that the explosion was an “isolated incident,” but that it could not yet be ruled out a connection to the New Orleans attack.
The sheriff said it was “just a coincidence” that both men were using Turo.
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