The suspect in the New Year's Day truck attack in New Orleans, and the man believed to be behind the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel both spent time stationed at the Army base formerly known as Fort Bragg, according to officials.
The two incidents, occurring just hours apart, have sparked widespread speculation about potential connections. However, investigators have found no evidence of coordination between the two men. FBI Deputy Assistant Director Chris Raia stated Thursday that there is "no definitive link."
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, killed 15 people and injured dozens in the French Quarter when he rammed his vehicle into a crowd. Authorities have labeled the incident a terrorist attack and confirmed that Jabbar acted alone. Meanwhile, Livelsberger, a decorated Green Beret, is believed to have died by suicide inside the Cybertruck moments before the explosion. The blast, which was largely contained by the steel structure of the vehicle, injured seven bystanders.
Both men had served at the North Carolina base, now called Fort Liberty, though officials confirmed there was no overlap in their assignments. Livelsberger, a 13-year veteran with deployments to Afghanistan, Ukraine, and other conflict zones, was on approved leave at the time of his death, AP reported.
While authorities continue to investigate, no clear motive has emerged for either attack. The FBI is conducting searches related to both incidents, including activity at a home in Colorado Springs tied to the Las Vegas explosion.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk clarified on social media that the Cybertruck's explosion was unrelated to the vehicle itself, attributing the blast to fireworks and camp fuel canisters loaded into the truck.
Originally published on Latin Times
