'Tragic' New Orleans Terror Attack Being Monitored, Though No Threat On Long Island: Cops

LONG ISLAND, NY — The brass of Long Island's two largest police departments overseeing the counties of Nassau and Suffolk, said there are no credible threats in the region, however, they are monitoring for any developments following the terror attack on revelers in the French Quarter of New Orleans on New Year's Day.

Around 15 people were killed and dozens others hurt after the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas, rammed a truck into a crowd of people at 3:15 a.m., then was killed in a firefight with police, The Associated Press reported.

Several possible explosive devices and a flag associated with the Islamic State group were found in the truck, the Federal Bureau of Investigation told the outlet.

In a statement released on behalf of County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Commissioner Patrick Ryder, Nassau police's brass said Wednesday they are"closely monitoring the tragic events that occurred in New Orleans overnight" and are "communicating with our partners in federal and state law enforcement."

"Although there are no threats to Nassau County, our vigilance, as always, is high," the statement read.

Suffolk police said that while there are no credible threats in the county, the department is working with County Executive Ed Romaine "and monitoring the tragic incident."

"The department continuously communicates with local and national law enforcement agencies and our officers remain vigilant," the statement read. "There is already an increased police presence because of the holidays and we ask residents to report any suspicious activity to police."

Nearby in New York City, the New York Police Department says there is also no threat there.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the department is "closely monitoring recent events in New Orleans and coordinating with federal and regional partners."

"We have not identified any specific/credible threats or any nexus to New York City at this time," the statement concluded.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said that although there is "no known connection" to New York she directed state police "to be on high alert as details about this attack continue to unfold."

"The NYSP and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services remain in constant contact with the FBI and other federal partners, as well as the New York Police Department and state fusion centers throughout the country to ensure we collect, share and analyze information about threats as quickly as possible," she said.

She called the attack "a horrible reminder of the threat terrorism of all stripes poses to our country, our freedom and our way of life."

"We fully condemn the cowardly act of evil against innocent New Year’s revelers," she said. "Additional information is continuing to come to light, but public reporting suggests this attacker may not have acted alone."

In New York's arsenal to combat terrorism, Hochul's administration has allocated an additional $10 million in counterterrorism funding "to support local government efforts to intervene in and disrupt the radicalization process," as well as increased the number of state police assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

New staffing, intelligence tools, and other resources was previously added to state police's Office of Counterterrorism and homeland security, Hochul says because she believes "law-enforcement and homeland security professionals deserve the finest tools and the best training available."

“New Yorkers have confronted the horror of terrorism and we have always come out stronger for it," she said. "We stand ready to help our countrymen in New Orleans in any way we can. But I want to stress that New Yorkers should rest assured their government, and I personally, take this threat deadly seriously. We will continue doing everything we can to keep New York safe.”