Deep Dive
WHY was 2025 off to a nightmarish start for the podcast hosts?
The hosts grappled with the devastating LA wildfires, which destroyed over 12,000 structures and killed at least 24 people. They also covered the New Year's Day domestic terrorist attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and the fatal police shooting of the "Pizzagate" gunman.
What happened to the "Pizzagate" gunman, Edgar Madison Welch?
Welch was fatally shot by police in North Carolina after a traffic stop. He was recognized as having an outstanding felony probation violation warrant. When officers attempted to arrest him, he drew a handgun, leading to the shooting.
What were the two high-profile violent incidents on New Year's Day 2025?
A multiple-casualty terror attack in New Orleans and a Cybertruck bombing in Las Vegas. Both incidents were committed by current or former U.S. soldiers who served in Afghanistan in 2009 and were previously stationed at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg). Both also involved electric trucks rented via the app Turo.
What happened in the New Orleans attack?
Shamsud Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas man, drove a Ford F-150 Lightning to New Orleans after posting videos declaring allegiance to ISIS. He planted two IEDs that failed to detonate and then plowed through revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring dozens. He then exited the vehicle and opened fire, injuring two police officers before being killed in a shootout.
What happened in the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion?
Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old Green Beret, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a Tesla Cybertruck parked outside the Trump International Hotel. The truck subsequently exploded due to gas canisters and firework mortars. He used a Desert Eagle handgun.
What did Livelsberger's letters reveal about his motivations?
One letter urged a purge of Democrats from the government and military by any means necessary. The other condemned elite cruelty and overconsumption, lamenting the state of society and expressing disillusionment with endless wars.
What was the significance of the Nimruz airstrikes in Afghanistan?
In 2019, U.S. warplanes bombed alleged drug labs in Nimruz and Fara provinces, resulting in civilian casualties. The UN investigation verified 39 deaths, with credible information suggesting 37 more. The UN report concluded that the targeted sites did not meet the definition of legitimate military objectives. Livelsberger claimed to have targeted the buildings and that the strikes continued despite intelligence identifying civilians.
WHY is military service a top predictor of mass casualty events?
Several factors contribute: the military's culture of violence, access to weapons, untreated mental health issues, and the difficulties of reintegrating into civilian life. The military attracts individuals with pre-existing propensities for violence and exacerbates these tendencies through training and combat experience.
What resources are available for veterans struggling with mental health?
The VA provides resources and the Veterans Crisis Line is readily accessible. The GI Rights Hotline offers confidential advice for those seeking to leave the military, and organizations like Eyes Left share stories of veterans who have transitioned to positive activism.
- Edgar Welch, the Pizzagate shooter, was fatally shot by police.
- Welch had served four years in prison for firing inside Comet Ping Pong.
- Online conspiracy theories falsely connected Welch to a Hawke Tua girl.