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New Year's Day 2025 greeted Americans with several harsh lessons, mainly that we are vulnerable to domestic-terror operations from one end of the country to the other. Authorities tell us that the violence and horror might not be over. Oddly, the attacks yesterday appeared to be sending messages regarding U.S. political figures, particularly about President-Elect Donald Trump and "First Buddy" Elon Musk.
Speaking of Trump, his public statements about the New Orleans attack were a disjointed and inaccurate mess that had to be corrected by the press, including Fox News. That might be the most disarming event of the day, given that the United States now appears to have a President-Elect who cannot be trusted to speak truthfully to the American people at a time of emergency -- and he won't even take office for another 18 days. Fortunately, Joe Biden is filling out the final days of his term, and his was a voice of trust and authority at a time when America badly need one -- and all Trump could do was sow confusion.
The toll, at this writing, is 16 dead (15 in New Orleans; one in Las Vegas) and an inexact number of injuries (dozens in New Orleans and seven in Las Vegas). An apparent terror operation appears to have been foiled near Norfolk, Virginia.
The most devastating attack, so far, came when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42 of Texas -- who was born in the United States and served in the U.S. Army -- drove a truck onto a Bourbon Street sidewalk filled with New Year's revelers. Security cameras caught at least four other individuals -- three men and a woman -- planting explosive devices in the French Quarter. That prompted authorities to say Jabbar likely did not act alone, and more such attacks could be coming. Jabbar was killed in a gun battle with police, but video recordings captured him saying he had become a member of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and apparently was inspired by ISIS.
Earlier in the day came reports of the FBI seizing homemade explosives at a home in Norfolk, VA. From a report at the Associated Press:
Federal agents found one of the largest stockpiles of homemade explosives they have ever seized when they arrested a Virginia man on a firearms charge last month, according to a court filing by federal prosecutors.
Investigators seized more than 150 pipe bombs and other homemade devices when they searched the home of Brad Spafford northwest of Norfolk in December, the prosecutors said in a motion filed Monday. The prosecutors wrote that this is believed to be “the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history.”
Most of the bombs were found in a detached garage at the home in Isle of Wight County, along with tools and bomb-making materials including fuses and pieces of plastic pipe, according to court documents. The prosecutors also wrote: “Several additional apparent pipe bombs were found in a backpack in the home’s bedroom, completely unsecured,” in the home he shares with his wife and two young children.
Spafford, 36, was charged with possession of a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act. Law enforcement officers allege he owned an unregistered short barrel rifle. Prosecutors said that he faces “numerous additional potential charges” related to the explosives.
The investigation began in 2023 when an informant told authorities that Spafford was stockpiling weapons and ammunition, according to court documents. The informant, a friend, told authorities Spafford had disfigured his hand in 2021 while working on homemade explosives. Prosecutors said he only has two fingers on his right hand. The informant told authorities that Spafford was using pictures of the president, an apparent reference to President Joe Biden, for target practice and that “he believed political assassinations should be brought back,” prosecutors wrote.
That was the first sign that politics would be part of the day's events on Monday. But it would not be the last such sign. Near the end of the day, a Tesla Cybertruck filled with explosives burst into flames near the entrance to a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Given that the truck was a product of an Elon Musk company and the blast occurred at a Trump hotel, speculation soon surfaced that the explosion was tied to the political figures -- perhaps as a crude message designed to instill fear or confusion. From an AP report about the Las Vegas blast:
The person who died when a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives burst into flames outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel was a highly decorated U.S. Army Green Beret who deployed twice to Afghanistan, officials said Thursday.
Two law enforcement officials identified the man inside the futuristic-looking pickup truck as Matthew Livelsberger. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners, the Army said in a statement. He had served in the Army since 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the Army said. He was awarded two Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. Livelsberger was on approved leave when he died, according to the statement.
The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack and police believe the driver was not acting alone.
Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.
The FBI said Thursday in a post on X that it was “conducting law enforcement activity” at a home in Colorado Springs related to Wednesday’s explosion but provided no other details.
The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack and police believe the driver was not acting alone.
Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.
Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.
Chris Raia, FBI deputy assistant director, said Thursday that officials have found ‘no definitive link’ between the New Orleans attack and the truck explosion in Las Vegas.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday afternoon on X that “we have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.”
“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Musk wrote.
From a BBC report on the Las Vegas explosion:
Sheriff Kevin McMahill showed reporters dramatic footage of the explosion and photos of the aftermath, including several fuel canisters along with large fireworks in the truck bed.
Footage showed the truck parked directly in front of the entrance of the hotel. The truck sits idle for several seconds before exploding - bursts of multi-coloured fireworks shooting in multiple directions.
Mr McMahill, of the Las Vegas Police Department, said authorities were examining whether the incident could be connected to the one in New Orleans, where improvised explosive devices were found near the scene.
He said they were also investigating whether it might be linked to President-Elect Donald Trump, who owns the hotel, or Elon Musk, who owns Tesla.
"Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel, there's lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward," he said.
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