Earlier today, the FBI seemed to have tossed some cold water on ISIS’s claim that the Las Vegas shooter was one of theirs. The FBI believes that there is no connection between the shooter and the terror group, but they are maintaining the opposite.

13) #BREAKING: #ISIS issues official communique on #LasVegas attack, identifying Paddock as "Abu Abd Abdulbar al-Ameriki" pic.twitter.com/lqHmY2BLgC

— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) October 2, 2017

14) The communique, however, offered no proof of attacker Stephen Paddock's support or connection to #ISIS.

— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) October 2, 2017

15) ISIS gives unverifiable (as of yet) narrative: Paddock, responding to Baghdadi's incitements, did "precise" surveillance of venue prior

— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) October 2, 2017

16)Text in the communique similar to others by #ISIS, tho 1st to frame attack as "response"specifically to"Baghdadi" https://t.co/AIqiMZuUM1

— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) October 2, 2017

The claim is very weird, given the absolute lack of evidence to support it. Nothing indicates terrorist motives, but ISIS maintaining that he is a soldier of their ideology is… new. Normally, terror groups might take claim over something for the attention, but it’s soon forgotten when it’s proven false.

But, they are insistent, which does leave one questioning whether or not they know something we don’t yet know.

Mostly, though, it’s weird.