Federal authorities have charged a man attempting to join ISIS after allegedly being inspired by the January attack in New Orleans.
Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan “attempted to travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join ISIS on two occasions, neither of which were successful,” the Justice Department explained. “Hassan attempted to disguise the purpose of his travel as visiting family despite having none in Somalia and was traveling with his birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma.”
Hassan supported ISIS on social media and engaged with an account that encouraged individuals to join the terrorist entity.
The man further “praised Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 1,” the press release noted.
Hassan also posted a video of himself carrying an ISIS flag while driving.
On New Year’s Day, Jabbar intentionally drove a pickup truck through barricades into a crowd of pedestrians near Canal Street. The vehicle, bearing a Texas license plate, was reportedly carrying an ISIS flag, along with a handgun, an AR-style rifle, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Following the attack, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a Public Service Announcement on possible “copycat or retaliatory attacks due to the persistent appeal of vehicle ramming as a tactic for aspiring violent extremist attackers.” The agencies noted that vehicles for attacks are “easy to acquire” and urged the public to “remain vigilant regarding possible copycat or retaliatory attacks and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
