NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre expressed skepticism and confusion about the details surrounding the deadly New Year’s Day incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas. Favre took to social media to ask his followers about the terror attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people and the Cybertruck bombing outside Trump Tower in Las Vegas that killed one. Many of his followers also shared similar skepticism, with one advising to ignore the media and another suggesting to believe the opposite of what the FBI says.
Further details about the two attacks have emerged in recent days, shedding light on the background of the perpetrators. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man who drove a rented pickup truck into New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, and Matthew Livelsberger, the man suspected in the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, were both Army soldiers who served at Fort Liberty and deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. Despite serving in Afghanistan in the same year, there is no evidence suggesting that they were in the same province, location, or unit.
Las Vegas, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated that any potential ties between Jabbar and Livelsberger were still under investigation. The FBI released surveillance images of the New Orleans attack showing Jabbar just an hour before he allegedly drove through a crowd on Bourbon Street. Authorities believe the attack was inspired by the Islamic State, and despite initially investigating the possibility of accomplices, the FBI is confident that Jabbar acted alone. A black ISIS flag was recovered from Jabbar’s rented pickup truck following the attack.
An defense official confirmed that based on their military service, there was no evidence to suggest that the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas were related. Both men had served at Fort Liberty but at different times, and the North Carolina base is home to more than 50,000 service members. The FBI is currently surging people and assets to the area from across the region and nation to provide more investigative power and assistance to the victims and their families. The investigation into the attacks is ongoing, with special agents from various field offices assisting in following up on leads.
As the investigation continues, the public remains puzzled by the motives and circumstances surrounding the New Year’s Day incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas. Brett Favre’s initial skepticism about the events reflects the confusion and uncertainty that many people are feeling. The emergence of new details, such as the Army background of the perpetrators, has shed light on the possible influences that led to these attacks. With the FBI and other law enforcement agencies working diligently on the case, more information is expected to be revealed in the coming days.