Following two deadly New Year’s Day attacks, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) demanded immediate transparency and accountability from key U.S. agencies.
“The public deserves complete transparency and the truth regarding the New Orleans terrorist attack and the Las Vegas car explosion,” the chairmen wrote in a Thursday statement. Grassley chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck while Johnson heads the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
On New Year’s Day, just after 3:15 AM CST, security cameras caught 42 year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar driving a white Ford pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, New Orleans. The attack resulted in 14 fatalities and 57 injuries, with two businesses also significantly damaged. Jabbar, a Texas native who had served in the U.S. Army and later in the Army Reserve, was killed by police after exiting his vehicle and opening fire.
Investigators say the evidence suggests Jabbar’s actions were inspired by ISIS. An ISIS flag was found in his truck, alongside two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were placed but not detonated. Jabbar’s social media activity – particularly on his Facebook account, where he posted five videos declaring his allegiance to ISIS and his intent to harm – has become a focal point of the investigation.
Just hours later, at about 8:40 AM PST, investigators say Matthew Alan Livelsberger, a 37-year-old U.S. Army master sergeant, was involved in an explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. This event injured seven people and resulted in Livelsberger’s death by self-inflicted gunshot. The vehicle contained gasoline canisters and fireworks, but the ignition source remains undetermined.
Both attackers shared connections through military service, having potentially served together at Fort Bragg and in Afghanistan, though the FBI has stated there is “no known definitive link” between the two attacks.
Sens. Grassley and Johnson demanded detailed briefings and documentation from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Defense, and the FBI. They are particularly concerned about the absence of the FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge during the attack, who was on vacation, and are seeking clarity on the oversight and response mechanisms in place.
The senators also requested social media giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook, to provide insights into Jabbar’s social media activities, particularly with regards to videos he allegedly posted prior to the attack. The request follows a history of escalating concerns about social media platforms’ roles in monitoring and reporting potential threats, including previous inquiries into incidents like the Pulse nightclub shooting and the Parkland school shooting.
In a series of letters to the Departments of Justice (DOJ), Homeland Security (DHS), Defense (DOD) and FBI, Grassley and Johnson pressed for updates on the investigations, including the motives, radicalization processes, and any potential accomplices or networks associated with Jabbar and Livelsberger. They’re said they are also looking into how these attacks might have been prevented, given the digital footprints left by the perpetrators.
The senators’ demands for information come at a time when public trust in both social media companies’ handling of “dangerous content” and governmental response to security threats is under scrutiny. The outcomes of these inquiries could lead to new legislative actions aimed to shift emergency response systems protocols, national security procedures, and social media policies.
“While we understand the investigation into both of these incidents is ongoing, we expect your agencies to be forthcoming and responsive to oversight requests from Congress on this very serious matter,” they said. The senators set a deadline of February 4 for responses to their inquiries.
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on X at @christinakb.
Photo “Sen. Chuck Grassley” by Sen Chuck Grassley and “Sen Ron Johnson” is by Sen. Ron Johnson.
