WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday warned of a potential public safety threat from violent extremists in response to the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“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. Previous attackers inspired by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) who have conducted vehicle attacks in the United States and abroad have used rented, stolen, and personally owned vehicles, which are easy to acquire,” the agencies said in a statement.
The New Year’s Day attack killed over a dozen people after a truck was rammed into a crowd of revelers.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward)
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