FBI, Homeland Security warn of New Orleans-like attack ahead of Trump's swearing-in ceremony

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday warned of a potential public safety threat from violent extremists who might try to copy the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people.

The warning comes a week before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are issuing this Public Service Announcement to highlight a potential public safety threat from violent extremists in response to the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, Louisiana. As with any potential threats to the United States, we will coordinate with our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure they have the resources and information necessary to keep our communities safe," said FBI's official statement.

FBI issues safety guidelines:

The FBI and DHS encourage the public to promptly report information concerning suspicious activity to tips.fbi.gov or contact their local FBI field office (www.fbi.gov /contact-us/field-offices). Call 911 to report emergencies, including imminent threats to life.

For concerns involving US citizens abroad, to include reporting missing persons or individuals taken as hostages, please call the Department of State's Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) toll-free hotline at (888) 407-4747 or complete Crisis Intake Form at https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.

"The FBI and DHS urge bystanders to promptly report suspicious activities potentially related to violent extremist activity, including indications of possible online radicalization to violence and mobilization for attacks," said the official statement. DHS also has developed several unclassified resources for communities to help promote bystander awareness of potentially threatening or concerning behaviors that are observable to others and enhance the capacity to identify and mitigate threats through behavioral threat assessment and management, including publicly available training and prevention guides.