Turo Consults Counterterrorism Experts After New Orleans, Las Vegas Attacks

In an email to media outlets, including AllSides, the CEO of the rental car company used in two New Year’s Day attacks condemned the suspects and said the company is seeking guidance from national security and counterterrorism experts.

Key Quotes: Turo CEO Andre Haddad wrote, “We have facilitated 27 million trips, over 90 million booked days, spanning 8.6 billion miles driven, through 12 years of operating history, and less than 0.10% of Turo trips have ended with a serious incident, such as a vehicle theft.”

For Context: Both the suspects in attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas rented their vehicles through Turo. The car rental app has been investigating and partnering with law enforcement to “figure out how our platform could be misused by the perpetrators of such atrocities,” according to the message from its CEO. In New Orleans, Shamsud-Din Jabbar is the suspect in the truck attack early on New Year’s Day, which killed 14 and left dozens injured before police killed Jabbar. Matthew Livelsberger, 37, was identified as the bomber in the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump hotel, which killed him and injured seven people.

How the Media Covered It: Both tragic events drew coverage and commentary on security issues from all sides of the political spectrum. Some media outlets analyzed Turo’s track record, emphasizing its limited requirements for renters. CBS News (Lean Left bias) pointed to information about Turo’s screening process on its website, which says it relies on what’s called a proprietary "risk score" to assess potential renters. Conversely, the New York Post (Lean Right bias) reported that “there are very limited requirements for renters to secure a car from Turo,” adding that renters are not required to have personal insurance or a U.S. license.