new orleans — New Orleans (AFP) – National Guard members He arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday to help with safety measures ahead of New Year’s celebrations as city officials are still searching for permanent security solutions nearly a year after a truck attack on… Bourbon Street It left 14 dead.
The rampage, in which a man was led around a police blockade in the early hours of January 1, exposed security vulnerabilities surrounding the city’s famous street filled with bustling bars, brass bands playing on cobblestone corners and a steady stream of cocktail-toting partygoers.
While Louisiana officials say the popular tourist destination is safe and they have implemented additional measures to eliminate potential threats, families of the deceased victims say not enough has been done to prevent similar tragedies.
The attack occurred when Shams al-Din Jabbar He drove a pickup truck down Bourbon Street, plowing into crowds celebrating New Year’s Day, killing himself 14 people and dozens injured. Police shot and killed Jabbar, a US citizen and Army veteran who had declared his support The extremist Islamic State group On social media.
In the wake of the attack, city officials, government agencies and law firms representing the victims’ families began investigations into whether the attack could have been prevented. Investigations focused on the street barrier system of steel posts designed to prevent cars from entering the road. It was the candles Being replaced at that time.
Among the victims was Nekira Dido, an 18-year-old woman who was about to go to university and was on Bourbon Street with her friends. Her mother, Melissa Dido, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that while many will greet 2026 with fireworks and joy, she will be sad. She was haunted by her daughter’s final moments, which were captured in a graphic video circulating on social media.
“I’m a parent who had to wake up, log into my Facebook account and see my daughter’s last days — my daughter’s last time. I couldn’t see her in Bourbon the night it happened. I saw her on video,” she told the AP.
“I didn’t see any safety,” Dido said. “I saw my daughter is still here.”
Questions remain about the street’s barricade system, a patchwork of barricades, strategically parked police vehicles and 32 large steel barriers that officers push into place each night to form pedestrian zones.
“They’re not meant to be used that way,” Samuel Palumbo, commander of the 8th Precinct Police Department in New Orleans, said of the barriers, which can only withstand low-speed crashes. He stressed before the New Orleans Governmental Affairs Committee this month that the system is “a temporary solution to a perpetual problem.”
“We need to learn from what happened,” Maurice Bart, whose law firm represents the victims and their families, told reporters Tuesday. “It is ridiculous…that a year after this tragedy nothing has been done to resolve this situation.”
Palumbo urged the city to install permanent security gates that can withstand crashes at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph). The committee chose to postpone the vote until the next mayor, Helena Moreno, takes office in January.
A consulting firm hired by the city to conduct a security assessment came up with another suggestion: Make Bourbon Street a pedestrian-only zone.
While much of the street is restricted to pedestrians at night, the recommendation — which was supported by the victims’ families — was largely ignored after French Quarter residents and business owners raised concerns about access to their homes and businesses.
As the city prepares for round-the-clock celebrations, 350 National Guard members have been deployed Administration of President Donald Trump He arrived in New Orleans.
Dozens of members dressed in military uniform, carrying weapons in their holsters, were seen Tuesday night throughout the city’s historic French Quarter, home to Bourbon Street. They stood near the barricades, drinking cups of coffee and talking or taking pictures with passersby.
The troops will remain through Carnival season, when tourists descend on the Big Easy to take part in the festivities and parades that wind through the city’s streets before ending with Mardi Gras in mid-February. a contract
Republicans and Democrats have supported the additional resources — which also include state police forces and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries officers. Mayor-elect Moreno said she appreciated the troop presence and that it increased “visibility of security assets during major events.”
Miguel Thornton, a longtime French Quarter worker, said he was glad to see troops armed a year after the attack.
“A lot of service industry professionals who were here were affected — they saw the carnage, they had to trample the bodies — so people definitely changed,” Thornton said. “As far as the National Guard is concerned, they’ve been here before. Frankly, we welcome them.”
Louisiana has a famous Cajun French phrase, “Laissez les bon temps rouler” or “Let the good times roll.” In New Orleans, a city that relies heavily on tourism The show always goes on In the entertainment district – even in the face of tragedy.
After the Bourbon Street attack, the Strip was closed while emergency crews tended to the wounded, bodies were recovered and blood was washed from the streets. By the next day, before the coroner had identified all the victims, the street was reopened. Within a few months, handwritten tributes were drawn at the site of the attack.
As the anniversary approaches, tourists once again flock to Bourbon Street to celebrate the New Year. This time, hundreds of handmade flags were hung above them in honor of the victims.
Buck Harley, who runs a cigar shop on Bourbon Street, said he had to explain the memorial to customers.
“We as a society seem to forget. And I don’t think it’s because of a lack of empathy, but because there’s another big story taking its place,” Harley said. “I have to tell the tourists why the flags are raised, because they have already been forgotten.”
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Klein reported from Baton Rouge.
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Brock is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America It is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.