In the wake of a deadly vehicle attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, questions have emerged regarding the city’s preparedness and use of security infrastructure designed to prevent such incidents. The attack, carried out by a former U.S. Army veteran, resulted in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to more than 30 others. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Houston, Texas, was shot and killed by police after his rented truck crashed into a construction lift.
The attack began when Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck bearing a mounted Islamic State (IS) flag around a police barricade and onto Bourbon Street, packed with New Year’s Day revelers. Surveillance footage showed the suspect bypassing a wedge barrier left in the down position to allow emergency vehicles to pass. Additionally, bollards intended to block vehicle access at 11 of 16 strategic locations were under repair at the time of the attack. Officials cited bead debris from Carnival parades as a contributing factor to the bollards’ operational issues.
Aaron Miller, New Orleans’ homeland security director from 2016 to 2018, oversaw the installation of the bollards as part of a $40 million public safety initiative introduced by then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu. The plan was implemented in response to international vehicle-based terrorist attacks in cities like Nice, Berlin, and London. The initiative included road-blocking bollards, wedge barriers, surveillance cameras, and license plate readers. Portable Archer barriers, weighing 700 pounds each and capable of stopping speeding vehicles, were also part of the package but were not deployed during the New Year’s Day incident.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anna Kirkpatrick refuses to acknowledge that she let the victims down by not having an appropriate security plan.
Kirkpatrick won’t admit there was a failure even though many people lost their lives.
This woman needs to be fired immediately. pic.twitter.com/FivaR1nanS
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 3, 2025
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, who assumed her position in November 2023, acknowledged in a press conference that she was initially unaware her department had Archer barriers available. By Thursday, these barriers had been deployed alongside the reactivated wedge barrier as part of enhanced security measures for upcoming events, including the Sugar Bowl and the Super Bowl.
New Orleans police chief isn’t just elderly, frail and woke… she’s also completely incompetent.
pic.twitter.com/uD28hUJd0A— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) January 3, 2025
Miller, now an Arlington, Virginia, deputy county manager and a Tulane University adjunct professor, refrained from criticizing the city’s handling of the incident but expressed regret over the absence of some protective measures. He noted that previous simulations conducted during his tenure had envisioned similar attacks, including scenarios involving large vehicles targeting crowds.
The attack has prompted a wave of criticism. Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser questioned the city’s preparedness in a statement to a local news outlet, calling it “unthinkable” that security lapses had occurred. Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office responded, emphasizing that New Orleans would not be “distracted by outside commentary.”
Meanwhile, counter-terrorism expert Javed Ali of the University of Michigan speculated that the speed of the attack might have rendered some security measures ineffective, even if operational. Despite this, many have questioned why barriers were not properly maintained or deployed in key areas, particularly during a high-profile holiday celebration.
Then we have this from the President of The United States:
Joe Biden disgracefully jokes during his press conference on the New Orleans attack.
He said he wants to “get this damn thing done” so he can watch the Sugar Bowl.
Total insult to the Americans who just lost their lives and those injured.pic.twitter.com/zQCEXyvyhs
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 3, 2025
“This is one of the worst-case scenarios that we trained and exercised for,” Miller said. “These are the things that keep us up at night.”
