In the early hours of 2025, a man now identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck through a crowd. At least a dozen are dead and many more injured.
Donald Trump released a statement on the attack, too.
With all breaking news, the situation remains fluid for the first 24 to 48 hours, but here's something that's going to get a lot of scrutiny in the coming days and weeks:
Barriers intended to block terror attacks on Bourbon Street were removed for overhaul in November https://t.co/xjaCBTPsxY pic.twitter.com/jE6UICtkCN
— New York Post (@nypost) January 1, 2025
Protective barriers intended to prevent terrorist attacks along New Orleans’ Bourbon Street were being replaced and were not set up when a truck fatally plowed into New Year’s revelers early Wednesday.
The stainless-steel bollards were removed in November as part of an overhaul of the security system, Nola.com reported.
That overhaul was due to take three months, and was brought on by what French Quarter Management District head Bob Simms called an “ineffective” old system.
'The track was always full of crap, beads and doubloons and God knows what else. Not the best idea,' Simms told Nola.com. 'Eventually everybody realized the need to replace them. They’re in the process of doing that, but the new ones are not yet operational.'
This writer lives in Wisconsin and in 2021, Darrell Brooks drove an SUV through the Waukesha Christmas Parade, killing six people and injuring 70. After that, authorities made sure to block off parade routes so no one else could do what Brooks did.
But New Orleans appears to have dropped the ball on this.
Wow. Hold they didn’t have new ones installed for one of the biggest celebrations of the year 🤯🤯🤯
— AJH - Question Everything (@1_2_question) January 1, 2025
Honestly, they probably had an eye on Mardi Gras.
Let me guess, an incompetent liberal made this decision.
— Austin Rogers (@MrAustinRogers) January 1, 2025
Safest guess ever.
Before NYE ?
— Free Speech USA (@Free_Speech_1A) January 1, 2025
The bureaucrat who made that decision surely resigned by now, if not better be fired within the hour.
He or she won't be.
Why do it in February after the holidays? Because that would make sense
— chris kendall (@chriskendall7) January 1, 2025
Like we said, they were thinking about Mardi Gras -- Fat Tuesday is March 4.
That answers one question. Every time I've been there (a lot), it's been closed off to vehicle traffic. https://t.co/wob1fwsvQj
— Gingerbread Florida Man (@Junebagio) January 1, 2025
As it should be.
WOW. They removed the Barricades that were supposed to protect from terrorist acts in November and never put them back?👀 https://t.co/9irFJR1M6o
— RyanRipz The Left 🇺🇸 (@RyanRipzTheLeft) January 1, 2025
Because government.
Can’t make this stuff up; your government at work. https://t.co/VsX2pelNKV
— joe sims (@Rock5491) January 1, 2025
Once again: government.
THAT was a great plan. Whose idea was that?
— David Fricke (@frickeville) January 1, 2025
You remove barriers, you place temporary barriers in their place. Like dump trucks. Not orange cones. https://t.co/mgnw8gJXt4
Bingo.
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