New Year’s Attacks
The New Year started with chaos in New Orleans and Las Vegas after two separate incidents left 16 people dead.
What happened first?
Just after 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day in New Orleans, 14 people were killed and 35 injured after a man drove a pickup truck into crowds on a blocked-off portion of NOLA’s bustling Bourbon Street. The armed driver opened fire and was killed in a shootout with police at the scene.
What do we know?
After initial investigations, authorities say a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas rented an electric Ford F-150 from Turo, a car-sharing company, and drove from Houston to New Orleans. Early on January 1st, he placed improvised explosive devices in coolers on Bourbon Street—they were never detonated.
In a series of Facebook videos, the attacker said he joined ISIS last year and shared his last will and testament before carrying out the attack. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism, saying the “lone wolf” suspect was “100% inspired by ISIS.”
And then there was another incident?
A few hours later, around 8:30 a.m. in Las Vegas, a Cybertruck pulled up to Trump Hotel and exploded, injuring seven bystanders; authorities say the driver died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound “prior to the detonation of the vehicle.” Fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel were found inside the truck.
The suspect is believed to be a 37-year-old U.S. Army Green Beret who drove the Cybertruck—also rented via Turo—from Colorado that morning.
Are they connected?
As of writing, the FBI said there was “no definitive link” between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion.
RADIATE HOPE
While mourning with victims and praying for our enemies, Christians have hope in the face of a violent world. The servant of God, who himself did no violence, has been afflicted by his Father on our behalf so that we can live in the Lord’s peaceful presence forever.
“Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.”
Isaiah 53:4-5 (CSB) (read full passage)