At the time of the attack, New Orleans had temporary barriers on Bourbon Street while it worked on a project to replace its permanent barriers.
On Jan. 1, a man drove a truck through a crowd celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, a popular destination for parties on New Year’s Eve. The driver killed at least 10 people and injured dozens more before exiting the vehicle and dying in a firefight with police.
The FBI has identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas. The FBI are investigating the driver for possible affiliations with terrorist organizations after an ISIS flag was found in the truck. Authorities do not believe Jabbar acted alone.
Many people on social media are questioning what barriers, if any, existed on Bourbon Street, one of the most famous pedestrian streets in the country, to protect those celebrating the new year. Some people have claimed the street lacks security barriers it sorely needs, while others have claimed the street’s barriers weren’t used the night of the attack.
THE QUESTION
Were there security barriers on Bourbon Street at the time of the attack?
THE SOURCES
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Press conference of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and New Orleans Chief of Police Anne Kirkpatrick following the attack
THE ANSWER
Yes, there were temporary security barriers and police cruisers blocking traffic at the time of the attack on Bourbon Street.
WHAT WE FOUND
At the time of the New Year’s Eve attack on Bourbon Street, New Orleans was in the process of upgrading its bollard system, which are metal poles embedded in the roadway that block vehicle access. While the upgraded bollards are being installed, the city utilized temporary barriers in their stead on New Year’s Eve.
Police officers used patrol cars and construction barriers to block off the street prior to the attack, Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans’ police chief, said in a press conference. The suspect drove around the barriers and police cruisers onto the sidewalk, she explained.
In addition to the bollard system, the city also has mechanical barricades that lift to block traffic at the entrance of Bourbon Street along Canal Street. But Kirkpatrick said those barriers, which she referred to as wedges, had malfunction issues and were at risk of getting stuck, preventing emergency vehicles from accessing the street.
The police department determined the old bollards to be inefficient because they did not operate in the way they were intended to, LaToya Cantrell, New Orleans’ mayor, said in a press conference after the attack.
The City of New Orleans began construction on the Bourbon Street bollard replacement project in November 2024, according to its website. The project will replace the old bollard system with new removable stainless-steel bollards, and it’s scheduled to be done before the city hosts the Super Bowl in February.