President-elect Donald Trump is alluding to illegal immigration as the cause behind a recent attack on New Orleans residents the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating as a potential act of terrorism.
The attack occurred in the early hours of January 1st when a man in military gear slammed his pick-up truck into pedestrians celebrating New Year’s on New Orleans’ iconic Bourbon Street.
Local news have identified the perpetrator as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, further adding he was carrying an ISIS flag in the truck.
The attack follows increased reporting of arrests at the US’ southwest border of individuals with potential links to ISIS and other terror groups.
The man killed ten individuals and injured 35 others, including two law enforcement officers, as he drove the pick-up while also recklessly shooting a firearm.
“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others,” reads an FBI statement. “The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased.”
Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick of the New Orleans Police Department classified the man’s behavior as “intentional” and assured the perpetrator “was hellbent on perpetrating the carnage” that ensued.
President Trump referred to “criminals coming in” to the US when speaking about the New Orleans tragedy via Truth Social.
“The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before,” continued Trump. “Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department.”
Prior to the NOLA attacks, Republican lawmakers had been foreshadowing President Joe Biden’s border policies would allow terrorist operatives to surreptitiously slip into the US.
Nearly two dozen Senators previously penned a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding answers on numerous concerning border crossing statistics.
Among these are releases of aliens potentially belonging to Afghani, Somalian, and Uzbekistani terrorist groups into the US.
