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The trucks involved in the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks were both rented through car-sharing platform Turo.
According to the FBI, the now-deceased suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar rented the white pickup truck that he drove down New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning while people were celebrating the New Year. Fifteen people died.
SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS FBI INVESTIGATING ACT OF TERRORISM AFTER BOURBON STREET ATTACK
In another incident on Wednesday, a Tesla Cybertruck loaded with gasoline canisters and fireworks near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas exploded, according to local police. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the driver “rented the vehicle in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas at approximately 7:30 a.m. and drove through the Las Vegas Strip until he arrived at the hotel where the incident occurred.” There was a death.
A Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday, killing the driver and injuring seven others. (EyePress News/Shutterstock/Shutterstock)
“We are hurt by the violence in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families,” Turo said in a statement to Fox News. “We are actively cooperating with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents. We do not believe that any of the tenants involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.”
The company said it “remains committed to maintaining the highest standards in risk management, thanks to our world-class trust and security technologies and teams that include experienced former law enforcement professionals.”
The FBI said Thursday morning that there is “no definitive connection” between the two incidents at this time.
A police officer patrols the French Quarter early on January 2, 2025 after an attack by a man driving a truck on Bourbon Street a day earlier in New Orleans. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
How the app works
Turo users book rental vehicles on the platform through a multi-step process.
They “enter where and when you need a car, filter to find the best one for you and read reviews from previous renters,” according to the car-sharing app’s website.
There are more than 1,600 “unique cars and models” on Turo, its website said. They are provided by “hosts,” which Turo described as “everyday entrepreneurs who share cars in their communities.”
Turo users can pick up their car from a pickup location or have it delivered to them, according to the company.
The logo for Turo Inc. is shown on a smartphone in an edited photo taken in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Thursday, June 11, 2020. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“Some hosts meet guests in person, while others opt for remote transfers,” Turo’s site explained.
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He said the requirements to rent a car through the app include having a Turo account, holding a valid driver’s license and being approved to drive on Turo. It also requires a home address and has different age requirements depending on the country, according to the website.
Turo said in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that about 3.5 million guests rented vehicles during the 12-month period ending Sept. 30.
The app is available in the US, Australia, France, the UK and parts of Canada.
The Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas was rented in Colorado, LVMPD said. Meanwhile, the rental of the pickup used in the New Orleans attack took place in Texas, according to the FBI.
Who is the CEO of Turo?
Turo is led by CEO Andre Haddad.
He became CEO of the peer-to-peer car-sharing company in 2011, according to his company bio.
Before that, Haddad co-founded an online marketplace called iBazar that eBay bought in 2001. He spent about a decade at eBay after the acquisition, according to his Turo biography.
Turo was created by Shelby Clark in 2009.
Possible IPO in the future
Turo has eyed a possible initial public offering in recent years.
In 2022, it filed a registration statement with the SEC for a proposed IPO. This came five months after there was a draft registration statement in confidence.
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Turo said in a November filing that it had generated nearly $879.68 million in net income and over $14.71 million in net income through 2023. In the first nine months of 2024, it saw $722.05 million in net income. and $19.4 million in net income, according to the filing.
Margaret Kerman contributed to this report.
