A construction worker cuts into a section of Bourbon Street on Jan. 4, 2025, where old bollards are being replaced. Multiple news reports have questioned whether the replacements are strong to prevent a vehicle assault similar to the one that killed 14 people early Jan. 1 on Bourbon Street. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation will conduct a review of security plans New Orleans had in place ahead of New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl, following a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street that claimed 14 lives and injured 37.
Attorney General Liz Murrill announced the review Monday morning, saying her agency would “explore all aspects of the planning for and execution of security measures.”
In a news release, Murrill detailed what the review will encompass:
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existing security assessments at recommendations
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funding sources and how local, state and federal money are used for security measures
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the security equipment available to the city and how it was used
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coordination among local, state and federal officials
“The people of Louisiana deserve answers. We are committed to getting a full and complete picture of what was done or not done, and more importantly, what needs to change so we can prevent this from ever happening again,” Murrill said in the news release.
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Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, of Texas, sped down three blocks of Bourbon Street in a pickup truck, easily avoiding a New Orleans police SUV at the Canal Street entrance. The NOPD vehicle was the only barrier in place because the city was not able to install steel bollards into their slotted foundations across the street at multiple points on Bourbon. Hydraulic gates and steel archers were also not deployed.
Jabbar was killed in a shootout with law enforcement after crashing the rented truck into a hydraulic lift near the intersection of Conti Street. The FBI said a working remote detonation device was found in the truck. Surveillance video shows Jabbar earlier placing two coolers with homemade bombs inside them further down Bourbon Street.
The Sugar Bowl college football playoff game, originally scheduled for the night of Jan. 1, was postponed until the following afternoon to allow time for additional security measures.
Murrill said her review has the support and cooperation of NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, City Council President Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams, New Orleans Inspector General Edward Michel and Councilman Freddie King III, who represents the district that includes French Quarter.
New Orleans police officers stand next to receptacles installed across Bourbon Street to hold new security bollards on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. News reports indicate the new bollards are not strong enough to prevent a terrorist attack similar to the one that killed 14 people and injured 37 more early Jan. 1. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)
The attorney general will continue to reach out to other leaders in the community and at the state level in the next few days, she said. Through her spokesman, Murril said she intends to contact New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell soon.
The mayor’s office also hasn’t responded to questions about the attorney general’s review.
“It’s my hope that our findings will help provide our law enforcement officers and the City of New Orleans with the tools and insight they need to best ensure the safety of the community and our many visitors,” Murrill said.
News of the attorney general’s review comes a day after Cantrell said she has reached out to the Biden administration to request a “tactical expert” help the city review its possible vulnerabilities to a terrorist attack. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden came to New Orleans today to meet with victims’ families and local officials.
The expert the mayor is seeking is expected to weigh in on whether the replacement bollards the city has purchased to install on and near Bourbon Street will be strong enough to prevent an incident like last week’s. News reports over the weekend indicate the replacements are far weaker than the bollards they are intended to replace and would not have stopped Jabbar’s speeding truck.
Cantrell said a decision on whether to move forward with the replacements will be based on the feedback the security expert provides, although construction workers were tearing up at least two portions of Bourbon Street to install receptacles for the new bollards. Those receptacles, and the caps that cover them when not in use, are already in place at several points along Bourbon Street.
The mayor said Biden has approved her request to elevate Mardi Gras to the highest level of risk assessment from the federal government. The level-one Special Event Assessment Rating potentially opens the door to more federal assistance. The peak of Carnival season has previously received a level-two SEAR score, something Cantrell said she has pushed to update since 2019.
The Super Bowl, which takes place Feb. 9 at the Superdome, already has a SEAR 1 score.
Gov. Jeff Landry has also asked the president for a federal disaster declaration in response to the terrorist attack. The governor is specifically seeking assistance to address security concerns in New Orleans, provide care for survivors and for individual assistance to anyone in need of crisis counseling.
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