Truck attack, Tesla explosion, mass shootings: US starts 2025 in a gloomy mood

The new year began with a wave of violence in the United States, leaving at least 16 people dead and dozens injured in three separate incidents. The attacks, which occurred in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Queens, New York, once again brought the country’s ongoing fight against mass violence to the forefront.

Truck ramming attack in New Orleans

On January 1, around 3 a.m., a blood-curdling attack took place in the French Quarter in New Orleans. The man was driving a white Ford pickup truck, raising a black flag Islamic State (ISIS), deliberately breaking into the crowd of New Year’s Eve revelers. The attacker was identified as a 42-year-old man Shamsud Din Jabbarat least 15 people died and dozens were injured.

Following the attack, which took place in the heart of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter, the suspect opened fire on police officers. Two officers were injured but are expected to recover. Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran, was killed in another shootout with law enforcement.

FBI investigators are treating the incident as a potential terrorist attack, citing the ISIS flag and videos the suspect shared on the Internet that indicate he was inspired by the extremist group. The authorities did not rule out that accomplices were involved in the case. Jabbar, a former real estate agent from Houston, Texas, served in Afghanistan during his military career and was honorably discharged.

The attack occurred several hours before the city was scheduled to play the Sugar Bowl, the most important college football game. It was delayed until Thursday.

Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas

On the same day, a tragedy occurred in Las Vegas Tesla Cybertruck exploded around noon Wednesday outside the Trump Hotel, killing the driver and injuring seven other people. The attacker was identified as Mateusz Livelsbergeranother US Army veteran.

The explosion caused widespread panic and left many people injured, although none of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries.

Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that while the explosion appeared to be an isolated incident, authorities have not discounted the possibility of it being linked to terrorism.

Read also: Shocking links between New Orleans attack and Los Angeles truck explosion suspects

US President Joe Biden said there was “nothing so far” linking the New Orleans attack with the Las Vegas explosion, which police described as an “isolated” incident.

Both vehicles involved in both incidents were rented through the popular car-sharing app Turo. The Las Vegas sheriff said it was a “coincidence that we need to look into.”

Mass shooting in New York

Ten people were injured in a mass shooting outside the Amazura nightclub in Jamaica, Queens, late Wednesday evening. The shooting occurred just before 11:20 p.m. None of the injured are in critical condition and all are expected to survive. The Queens shooting is the latest in a grim series of mass shootings in the United States, with more than 488 reported in 2024 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The FBI urged the public to remain vigilant as it continues to investigate whether these attacks are part of a coordinated effort or isolated acts of violence. The uncertainty, coupled with the rising death toll, has left Americans on edge as they look ahead to the rest of 2025.