ISIS claimed responsibility Monday for the Las Vegas rampage — but the FBI later dismissed the assertion.
“The Las Vegas attack was carried out by a soldier of the Islamic State and he carried it out in response to calls to target states of the coalition,” the terror group’s news agency Amaq said in reference to the US-led coalition fighting the group in the Middle East.
“The Las Vegas attacker converted to Islam a few months ago,” Amaq also said on the Telegram online messaging service, according to Agence France-Presse.
But US officials said Monday that there was no evidence that the attacker was tied to any international militant group.
“We have determined at this point no connection to an international terrorist organization,” an FBI agent said at a press conference.
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The terrorist group’s statements — which did not include the attacker’s name — came after ISIS on Friday released an audio recording of what it said was its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi calling on jihadists in Syria and Iraq to “resist” their enemies.
That was seen as a bid to boost its fighters’ morale under pressure in Syria and Iraq from offensives by the Damascus regime and its allies, including Russia and US-backed fighters in both countries.
Since Baghdadi’s previous message to his followers in November, the territory the jihadists still hold in the self-declared caliphate they proclaimed in 2014 has shrunk to a fraction of its former size.
Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said earlier Monday that authorities believe Stephen Paddock was a “lone wolf” attacker.
The US Homeland Security Department said there was no “specific credible threat” involving other public venues in the United States.
ISIS often claims attacks by individuals inspired by its message but with no known links to the group.
However, it is not known to have claimed any attacks to which it was not at least loosely linked.
The group remains active in recruiting followers on social media, and has repeatedly called for attacks in Western nations.
