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Law enforcement agencies have been warned ahead of the holidays about potential lone criminals using vehicle ramming to attack people weeks before the terrorist ran into the crowd in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
The Department of Homeland Securitythe FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center sent a joint bulletin Dec. 6 to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies notifying them of the potential threat, according to a bulletin obtained by CNN.
The Independent approached the department for comment.
A subsequent “critical incident note” was sent after a attack on the German Christmas market On December 20, five people were killed and hundreds of others were injured.
In a bulletin, federal agencies warned police that “lone offenders” pose the greatest risk of committing violent acts during the winter holidays.
“Historically, lone criminals have used simple tactics, such as blades, firearms or ramming vehicles, due to their ease of access, ability to cause mass casualties and lack of necessary training,” the bulletin said.
on Wednesday, a suspected terrorist drove their truck into a crowd on Bourbon Streetkilling 14 people and injuring at least 30 others. That driver, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was acting alone, the FBI said Thursday.
Law enforcement officials said Jabbar, a veteran and US citizen from Texas, was “inspired by ISIS” and intended to “run over as many people as he could.”
Jabbar acted alone in carrying out the attack.
In a separate incident, Army vet dies after Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, injuring seven people.
That person has been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, a veteran and US citizen from Colorado.
Despite both vehicle incidents, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Chris Raia said there was “no definite connection” between the attacks.
Rampage incidents have become more popular in recent years, prompting law enforcement agencies to notify event organizers of the potential danger.
In an advisory issued ahead of New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, officials noted: “Intentional mass casualty incidents involving motor vehicles as weapons are a growing trend in Western countries. This method has resulted in the highest casualty rates per incident within the field (intentional mass casualty incidents ),” according to ABC News.