Louisiana’s top lawyer plans to open a full investigation into the security planning that went into the Sugar Bowl and New Year’s Eve, as concerns continue to mount over whether New Orleans Officials could have done more to prevent the deadly attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people and injured dozens of others, a report said.
NOLA.com reported that Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she plans to make a formal announcement on the full review on Monday, noting that New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has pledged her full support and cooperation grant.
New Orleans residents and visitors are wondering why a temporary barrier intended to prevent cars from entering Bourbon Street, where Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck through a New Year’s crowd in the early morning hours of January 1, was erected instead from above. , allowing vehicles to pass.
The temporary metal barriers were installed in mid-November on Bourbon Street and other parts of the French Quarter as the city was removing old bollards and replacing them with stainless steel bollards. That work was expected to last through January.
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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill addresses the media during a press conference on January 1, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill)
Official recommendations for New Orleans’ safety measures in the French Quarter, as part of a $2.3 billion infrastructure project that began in 2017, include the installation of new bollards on Bourbon Street to prevent mass casualties that could cause the FBI identified as a potential threat in the popular tourist area.
Safety recommendations for the area include street cameras, a central command center, better lighting and high-quality bollards that are also used by the US government near its official buildings.
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Tourists walk past temporary barriers at Orleans and Bourbon Streets, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Former FBI official Bill Daly, a safety and risk management consultant told Fox News Digital that the “Achilles heel” of the January 1 tragedy was that the temporary measures implemented on New Year’s Eve did not provide the same level of protection as previously intended, designed and provided for in the 2017 report.
“Temporary barricades are widely used. For example, they are used by the New York City Police Department in Times Square, to close down all side streets leading to Times Square,” Daly said.
He explained that authorities in New York City place cement blocks on the sidewalk and in the middle of the street as temporary barricades, and also use vehicles such as garbage trucks and dump trucks to block the road.
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A barricade on Bourbon Street (right) is back in place on January 2, the day after the terrorist attack, while a barrier appears on another street in the French Quarter (left) on January 2. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
In addition to Murrill’s investigation, some city council members said they plan to conduct their own investigation into security measures put in place the morning of the attack.
Murrill told NOLA.com that she has spoken with City Council Member Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams and other officials, adding that she plans to talk to others about her plans for a full security investigation.
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“Everyone wants to get a complete picture of what was or wasn’t done and, most importantly, what needs to change so we can prevent this from ever happening again,” she said.
Murrill’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the case.
Audrey Conklin, Garrett Tenney and Ashley Papa of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
