The FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have issued a public warning, raising concerns about potential copycat vehicle ramming attacks like the New Year’s Day incident in New Orleans that left 14 dead and dozens injured.
“The FBI and DHS are concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks due to the persistent appeal of vehicle ramming as a tactic for aspiring violent extremist attackers,” the agencies noted in a joint alert issued on Jan. 13.
The New Orleans attack, reportedly motivated by ISIS propaganda, involved a vehicle plowing into a crowd. The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, then exited the vehicle and was killed by police in an exchange of gunfire.
Similar attacks are particularly concerning due to their simplicity and the accessibility of vehicles that can be rented, stolen, or owned outright, the agencies noted in the alert. Besides using the vehicle itself as a weapon, suspects in similar attacks have used other means to inflict more carnage.
“Some have used additional weapons, such as firearms and knives, to attack individuals after the vehicle has stopped,” the FBI and DHS noted. “Additionally, attackers may attempt to conceal and pre-position improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to supplement a vehicle attack.”
The suspect in the New Orleans incident had additional weapons—including an IED—in the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck that he used to mow people down along a three-block path along Bourbon Street. About an hour before the attack, Jabbar put homemade bombs inside two coolers and placed them elsewhere in the French Quarter, a part of town teeming with New Year’s revelers. Law enforcement officials have said that the two IEDs planted by the suspect failed to go off because he used the wrong device to detonate them.
In their warning about potential copycats, the FBI and DHS noted that targets for such attacks typically include large gatherings of civilians, law enforcement, and military personnel, and heavily trafficked venues such as festivals, shopping centers, and places of worship. With the potential for widespread destruction and loss of life, the agencies urged heightened vigilance.
“The FBI and DHS urge bystanders to promptly report suspicious activities potentially related to violent extremist activity, including indications of possible online radicalization to violence and mobilization for attacks,” the alert reads.
The notice also highlighted resources available to law enforcement, first responders, and community leaders aimed at reducing vulnerabilities to such attacks. These include training materials and best practices for identifying threats and enhancing security protocols in public spaces.
Initially, officials believed that Jabbar may have had accomplices in orchestrating the deadly New Orleans attack. In the course of the investigation, however, they determined that he acted on his own in a “lone wolf” type attack.
Trump faced two attempts on his life during his presidential campaign, including one where a would-be assassin’s bullet grazed his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In the second incident, a gunman laid in wait at the Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach, and fled without firing his weapon after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of his firearm and fired several shots in his direction.
William McCool, Secret Service’s special agent in charge, said during a Jan. 13 press conference that roughly 25,000 law enforcement and military officials will be onsite to ensure security on Inauguration Day.
“We have a slightly more robust security plan. We’ve been planning for this event for 12 months,” McCool said. “All attendees will undergo screening. Designated checkpoints will be set up for members of the public interested in attending the inauguration.”
