PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A New Orleans celebration to ring in the New Year turned deadly on Wednesday morning after a U.S. Army veteran rammed a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 15 people.
The FBI said they're investigating the attack as a terrorist act and don't believe the suspect, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, acted alone. Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, was shot dead by police. Investigators later found guns, an apparent improvised explosive device and a flag of the Islamic State terrorist group in the car. The FBI also found other explosive devices elsewhere in New Orleans' French Quarter.
President Joe Biden spoke on Wednesday evening. He said the FBI uncovered video of Jabbar saying he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressed a desire to kill. Biden offered his condolences to the families of those who died.
Separately, in Las Vegas, a Cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel on Wednesday, killing one and injuring seven others. So far, the FBI said that while terrorism hasn't been ruled out, there's currently no sign the incident is connected to the killings in New Orleans.
KOIN 6 News talked with Dr. Randall Blazak, a Portland-based sociologist and expert on political extremism. Cure: PNW is the group Blazak leads, partially funded by the Department of Homeland Security, and focused on finding ways to de-escalate political violence.
He described the New Orleans attack as potentially "a classic case of someone who becomes radicalized to commit an act of terror."
Blazak stressed the power of early intervention and understanding the psychological triggers behind extremism.
When it comes to how the country moves forward, Blazak said the "million dollar question" revolves around "how much of our personal liberties are we willing to surrender for security and how much are we going to give up to - to feel safe."
Blazak said the country saw a similar push and pull in the aftermath of the terror attacks from September 11, 2001, when the U.S. rolled out the Transportation Security Administration and expanded surveillance.
"And so this is this balance that we're always trying to strike. And there's sort of push on both sides," Blazak said.
Blazak warned people against profiling. He said while some factors may raise red flags, it's key to avoid stereotyping or oversimplifying groups of people.
