A former FBI special agent has urged Americans to be cautious when attending major national events after two fatal incidents occurred on New Year's Day.
“Sadly, whether it's ISIS-inspired, an Islamic extremist terrorist attack, a mass shooting, or the CEO of United Healthcare just lost his job. , these types of incidents will continue to happen. Mind you,” former FBI special agent and FOX News contributor Nicole Parker explained to FOX News Digital.
“With so many of these events taking place, there will be a lot of large gatherings and a lot of activities with large groups.”
Parker's warning comes after a man identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing more than a dozen people and injuring dozens more. .
Matthew Libersberger was renting a Tesla Cybertruck from Denver, Colorado, when it exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day. (Alcides Antunes/Reuters from left, Fox News from right)
Hours after that deadly attack, a Tesla Cybertruck was blown up in front of the Trump Hotel Las Vegas, causing fear and chaos at the start of 2025.
Parker said that while these two events are shocking and devastating, there are looming signs in our country since the genocide caused by Hamas's terrorist attack on the Jewish state on October 7, 2023.
“There has been a lot of activity leading up to this moment. I would say that for our country, from a terrorism perspective, things have definitely changed since October 7,” Parker said.
“I think there was a lot of activity going on in the Middle East. A lot of the terrorist groups that people thought had disappeared, frankly, actually existed. A lot of them were under the Trump administration. And the Middle East “After the upheaval of 'I think there was almost a resurgence of a lot of activity and chatter in the Middle East,'” she continued.
Who is Matthew Reibsberger? What we know about the Tesla Cybertruck explosion suspect
“In the United States, especially under the Biden administration, I think the focus has been on domestic terrorism from domestic violent extremists, white supremacy, as the biggest threat. There are many activities. As Christopher Wray said, alarm bells are ringing. ”
Parker said, “Unfortunately, after what we've seen happen in Las Vegas and New Orleans, it's not a question of if it will happen, it's just a matter of when the next attack will happen.” he said.
“We're also dealing with domestic adversaries. But over the next few weeks and months, a lot of big, large-scale events are going to be canceled. , is an event that people participate in. They want to cause havoc and hurt others, and they're doing it to get attention, they want to cause the most destruction possible. '', he said, emphasizing the Super Bowl and college football national championship, which will be held on the same day as the president. Select President Trump's inauguration.
The FBI and Las Vegas Police Department, along with other agencies, are continuing to investigate, trying to determine what led to Matthew Reiblesberger, 37, an active-duty U.S. Army special operations soldier from Colorado Springs, Colorado, becoming a person of interest. President Trump blew up a Cybertruck in front of his Las Vegas hotel on Tuesday morning.
Investigators identify suspect in Cybertruck explosion at Trump Hotel based on tattoos and photos
Several guests who were staying at the hotel when everything unfolded spoke to Fox News Digital about the confusion and chaos that occurred in the hours after the explosion.
“Actually, I had already taken the dog out to the bathroom and then I came back to the hotel. I fed the dog and said, 'Okay, let's go back outside.'” At 8:48, I took the dog out to the bathroom. “I walked through that door with him,” Laurie Parent told FOX News Digital, saying she narrowly missed the explosion.
“When I woke up in the morning, I heard something… it sounded like people were cleaning the windows. And I also heard this crackling sound. So I said, ' What the heck is this?’ And then all of a sudden I heard police sirens and stuff, and I looked out the window and I saw smoke coming out of the window because it was a corner room on the 23rd floor,” said Carlos Reyes. told what it was. Like inside a hotel.
Las Vegas police say the Cybertruck that exploded at the Trump Hotel was loaded with fuel containers and a large fireworks mortar.
1 dead, 7 injured in Tesla Cybertruck fire in front of Trump Hotel in Las Vegas (Getty Images/Alcides Antunes)
“It's unreal. We (Chris and his wife) were walking here and you can still see (the Cybertruck) on fire. There's so much smoke inside… it's scary. “It was a great day,” said hotel guest Chris Petrotta. I explained that I was celebrating his anniversary.
Parker reiterated that these attacks are an important reminder to remain vigilant, be aware of your surroundings, and contact law enforcement if you see or hear anything suspicious. .
“Remember that ordinary people are part of the solution, too, because whether these individuals are terrorists, violent criminals, or mass shooters, they often have what is called a leak. Because there's some indication there that they're going to do something before they actually act,'' Parker said.
Parker said Americans shouldn't live in fear, but they should use common sense during major events and in everyday life.
“We cannot let violent criminals win, and we cannot live in fear. But we must also be aware of our surroundings and listen to our hearts. “Sadly, and I hate to say this, but this is not going to stop,” Parker said. .
“Unfortunately, this is just the society we live in. We obviously need to take certain steps to reduce the risk.”
Investigators are looking into the contents of a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department press conference)
She, like many Americans, is excited about President Trump's upcoming inauguration, but says things won't change overnight until real progress is made within elected officials and even within the FBI. He added that there was no.
“Look, I love President Trump. But sadly, a lot of these things are going to come true under President Trump, because these are the people who are sitting here quietly. You don't know when it's going to collapse. So all these people coming across the border don't know when they're going to take action, just like on 9/11. Decide when you're going to do it.'' Parker continued.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
authorities are still We are working to determine a motive and investigate whether Mr. Libersberger's actions were an act of terrorism.
“There's no doubt that it's in front of President Trump's building, that it's a Tesla, but right now we can definitively tell that it's because of this particular ideology,” Spencer Evans said. “We have no information to suggest otherwise.” Special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com.
