FBI Issues 'Copycat' Warning After New Orleans Terror Attack

Three U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies are concerned about "copycat or retaliatory attacks" following the New Year's terror attack in New Orleans, according to a joint bulletin from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center reviewed by Reuters.

Newsweek has reached out to the FBI and DHS press team via email for comment on Friday.

Why It Matters

Vehicular attacks have occurred worldwide, some carried out by extremist groups and others by lone actors. Vehicles are widely available, draw little attention, and don't require specialized skills to use in an attack, unlike crafting bombs or more technical methods.

Most recently, authorities believe Shamsud-Din Jabbar intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans on January 1, in an attack that killed 14 and injured about 30. Late last month, suspect Taleb al-Abdulmohsen rammed a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing five people and injuring 200.

Copycat attacks, which have included school shootings, religious violence, and vehicular assaults, may occur after an initial attack receives significant attention and influence.

Members of the FBI work on Orleans Street and Bourbon Street by St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter near where a suspicious package was detonated during the investigation of a truck crashing into pedestrians... AP Photo/Matthew Hinton

What To Know

Early Wednesday morning, around 3:15 a.m. local time, Jabbar drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street and then began shooting, according to the FBI. He was pronounced dead at the scene after law enforcement returned fire, the FBI said in a Wednesday statement.

The FBI is investigating the New Year's incident on Bourbon Street as an act of terrorism. Jabbar, 42, was a U.S. citizen from Texas who previously served in the U.S. Army. An ISIS flag was found in his truck, and he posted videos in support of the terrorist group ahead of the attack, according to law enforcement.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said during a news conference on January 2, the attacker was "100 percent inspired by ISIS." The extremist organization has repeatedly used car attacks in previous years, however, the group has not claimed responsibility for the violence in New Orleans.

The three agencies "are concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks," the intelligence bulletin said on Friday.

Such attacks "are likely to remain attractive for aspiring attackers given vehicles' ease of acquisition and the low skill threshold necessary to conduct an attack," the bulletin continued.

The agencies also warned law enforcement that in many cases, attackers are often armed and continue fighting after using their vehicles to ram into crowds, typically with firearms.

What People Are Saying

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Newsweek in an email Friday: "We remain in a heightened threat environment, and DHS continues to work closely with our law enforcement partners to evaluate threats, and share the latest information so that together, we can protect our homeland. We urge the public to promptly report any suspicious activity to local authorities and remain vigilant of potential copycat or retaliatory attacks inspired by the New Orleans terrorist attack or other recent, vehicle-ramming incidents across the globe."

The FBI National Press Office told Newsweek in an email Friday: ""The FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities we serve. The U.S. remains in a heightened threat environment and watchful for potential threats to public safety and we will work with our partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate investigative  action. We take all threats seriously and ask members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement. Tips can also be submitted to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL FBI."

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wrote on X on January 1: "A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene."

What Happens Next

The FBI said during a press conference on Thursday that they have received hundreds of tips related to the incident. At the press conference the agency urged anyone who was in the French Quarter on New Years Eve or early New Years Day, as well as anyone who knows Jabbar, to contact the FBI.

The agency is asking anyone with information that might assist is asked to contact the FBI's New Orleans Bureau by calling (504) 816-3000 or by emailing tips@fbi.gov, or submitting photo and video footage online here.

The FBI emphasized during the press conference that it is still "very early" in the investigation and more details are to come.