CHICAGO – In wake of the New Years Day attack in New Orleans that left 15 people dead – including the attacker – and injured 35, questions remain what could have been done – if anything – to prevent this tragedy.
New Orleans was in the middle of a months-long process of replacing pillar-style barriers, known as bollards, in the area of the French Quarter when the attack occurred.
Video posted online shows the white Ford F-150 driven by the attacker, 42-year old Shamsud-din Jabbar, going around a police vehicle set up at the entrance of Canal and Bourbon Streets.
In a statement released Thursday by the city of New Orleans, the city said it was “committed to ensuring safety and functionality of Bourbon Street.”
The statement went on to say that the black removable bollards installed at key locations along Bourbon Street “proved unreliable and have been non-operational.” City records show that work to replace the bollards along Bourbon Street began in November. To date, 11 of the 16 locations where replacement was underway have been completed. The remaining locations are on track for completion by early February, the city said.
Earlier in the day, reporters peppered local officials with questions if more security apparatuses should’ve been in place ahead of the Sugar Bowl, which was postponed one day due to the attack.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry told reporters that there would be an “after action review” of what transpired – adding that authorities had deployed additional security measures along Bourbon Street – which was re-opened Thursday after investigators completed processing the crime scene.
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“I don’t like to give specifics because I don’t like to tell the enemy what we got, but I can tell you we’re in better shape than we were before,” Landry told reporters.
The FBI said that Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran and lifelong Texan, rented the truck on Dec. 30 in Houston and drove to New Orleans the next da, all the while posting several videos to social media where he proclaimed his support for ISIS.
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An ISIS flag was found on the truck at the crime scene. Two improvised explosive devices spaced blocks apart were placed there by Jabbar the FBI said Thursday. The devices were later “rendered safe” by authorities.
“Let me be clear about this point. This was an act of terrorism. It was premediated and an evil act,” FBI Deputy Assistant Director Chris Raia with bureau’s counterterrorism division told reporters in New Orleans.
In Chicago, 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez, said wants to enhance security measures for street festivals in Chicago in wake of the New Orleans attack.
He told reporters Thursday he would like to see the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Events require that those seeking permits should use a more robust mobile vehicle barrier instead of wooden or plastic barricades.
“This is the third or fourth time in my lifetime I've witnessed a terrorist attack in the United States. I remember getting glued to the TV for 9/11, (the) Oklahoma City bombing, the Atlanta bomb. I don't want to see that here in the city of Chicago. And if this is something that we can do. That's a small change to help keep Chicago, and safe, then we should be jumping right now to get it done for the summer,” Lopez said.
NBC 5 Investigates reached out twice to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s press office for comment but as of Thursday afternoon had not heard back.
