The attacker who killed 14 pedestrians on Bourbon Street was “influenced by the discourse and messaging of the Islamic State,” the terrorist group said in a bulletin dated Thursday.
The group said the attacker who ran over pedestrians walking on Bourbon Street was “influenced by the discourse and messaging of the Islamic State.” but its message stopped short of claiming responsibility.
While the ISIS message did not directly mention New Orleans, it did describe an attack by an American man and referenced Meta glasses. The F.B.I. has said the attacker, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, was wearing Meta glasses. and the Counter Extremism Project said the ISIS message was referring to the New Orleans attack.
The truck driven by Mr. Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas, carried an ISIS flag. Mr. Jabbar, who was killed in a shootout with New Orleans police, also left a chilling recorded message for his family, telling them he had joined the terrorist group.
The authorities have denied that Mr. Jabbar had active connections to the terrorist group, but the F.B.I. said he was “100 percent inspired by ISIS.”
It is unclear what online content Mr. Jabbar may have consumed before the attack, but ISIS produces weekly as part of a sophisticated media operation that keeps its far-flung factions connected.
Experts say this latest claim is unusual for the group.
“Unlike other attacks in the past, where ISIS has released a claim of responsibility for the attack, in this case, the group has stated that the attacker was inspired by ISIS propaganda messaging but does not claim they had a direct relationship,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a researcher at the Counter Extremism Project.
The ISIS statement’s emphasis on the importance of people who translate and share ISIS content, Mr. Fisher-Birch said, “speaks to the efforts to continue the spread of the group’s official messaging and unofficial propaganda efforts made by supporters.”
He added that the article included a clear call for future attacks during events and holidays.
Aaron Boxerman, Neil MacFarquhar and Alissa J. Rubin contributed reporting.
Eve Sampson is a reporter covering international news and a member of the 2024-25 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers. More about Eve Sampson
Source: www.nytimes.com