New Orleans is commemorating the one-year anniversary of the deadly terror attack on Bourbon Street, where 14 people were killed and dozens injured when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into New Year's Day revelers on January 1, 2025.
The city has implemented unprecedented security measures for this year's celebrations, with President Trump authorizing the deployment of 350 National Guard members to the French Quarter. Close to 800 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials are patrolling downtown during New Year's Eve festivities and the Sugar Bowl.
A privately funded memorial known as the 'Second Line in the Sky' now hangs above Bourbon Street, featuring hundreds of handcrafted flags honoring the victims. The tribute will remain in place until January 18. Governor Jeff Landry has designated January 1-4 as an official mourning period across Louisiana, with flags flying at half-staff statewide.
However, families of victims say not enough has been done to prevent future tragedies. The street's current barricade system remains a patchwork of bollards, police vehicles, and steel barriers. Police Captain Samuel Palumbo has urged the city to install permanent security gates capable of withstanding crashes at 50 mph, calling the current system 'a temporary solution to a permanent problem.'
Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran who had expressed support for the Islamic State on social media, was shot and killed by police after the attack. The incident has sparked ongoing debates about urban security and the protection of crowded public spaces.
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