NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One Metro Councilmember has called for a discussion about additional safety measures on Broadway following what New Orleans, Louisiana mayor Latoya Cantrell called a “terrorist attack” Wednesday.
At least 15 people were killed and dozens were injured after 42-year-old military veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, born in Texas, drove around temporary barriers and through Bourbon Street.
The Associated Press reported that the bollards protecting Bourbon Street were in the process of being replaced when the attack happened. The superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, Anne Kirkpatrick, told reporters they had temporary barriers up to protect Bourbon Street.
“We did, indeed, harden those target areas where the bollards are. We had patrol cars out there as a hard target as well as with barriers,” Kirkpatrick said. “Now, I want to share with y’all — if you did not know — that this particular terrorist drove around onto the sidewalk and got around the hard target where we did have a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there, and they still got around.”
Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin, whose district encompasses downtown Nashville, told News 2 that the attack has prompted him to work to ensure that all possible safety gaps are addressed.
“As threats evolve, it’s important for us to evolve,” Kupin added.
Kupin said he feels Broadway is well-monitored and protected through video surveillance and physical barriers, but he’s still working with other officials to keep the area as safe as possible.
“We’ve got a lot of steps to prevent something like this from happening, but unfortunately, sometimes it takes a situation like this to find new holes in the system,” Kupin said. “To that effect, I have already reached out this morning to multiple partners to try to set up a meeting to plan for the new year, look at what happened in New Orleans [and] look at what that would look like here and what we could do to prevent it.”
Chief John Drake with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said in a statement:
“I am closely watching the evolving investigation surrounding this morning’s vehicle attack on persons celebrating in New Orleans’ French Quarter. My thoughts are with the victims and the wounded members of the New Orleans Police Department. As investigative details and conclusions are made known, we will review those, as we would with any national critical incident, to incorporate any lessons learned into our own public safety planning or protocols. Preparing for special events in our city, such as last night’s New Year’s Eve Big Bash, requires extensive planning by multiple police department components and our public safety partners. We use mobile barriers/gates as a part of those plans. With respect to downtown, the Entertainment District Unit was formed nearly two years ago to provide an additional cohesive, visible police presence Thursday through Sunday to enhance safety and is complemented by sidewalk bollards along Broadway.”
The FBI is leading this investigation. As of publication, the agency does not believe the suspect acted alone. You are asked to call 1-800-CALL- FBI if you have any information related to the New Orleans attack.
