New Orleans leaders face questions over preventability of terror attack

• As multiple media outlets ask similar questions, the New York Times published an article headlined "Could Better Security Have Stopped the New Orleans Terror Attack?" on Thursday. It details what it calls "a confidential security report" from 2019 that outlined how Bourbon Street was vulnerable to a vehicle attack like the one that took place this week.

Catch up quick: A man whom the FBI identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran and a U.S. citizen from Texas, made a sudden right turn onto Bourbon Street at about 3:15am local time.

• Jabbar drove his truck onto the sidewalk, bypassing an NOPD SUV that was parked in front of a broken barricade. He drove through crowds of New Years revelers for about two blocks before crashing into construction equipment.
• When Jabbar exited the truck, he began shooting, and three NOPD officers returned fire, officials have said. Two officers were among the injured. Jabbar was pronounced dead at the scene.
• Go deeper for the latest timeline and suspect details.

Context: Barricades are typically in place during busy nights at the corner of Bourbon and Canal Streets, preventing drivers from heading down Bourbon Street.

• Vehicle-resistant bollards were installed at the intersection about a decade ago, but have been out of commission pretty much ever since, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said this week, citing damage from debris like Mardi Gras beads. They've been under construction as the city prepares to host the NFL's Super Bowl in February.
• Officials do not block Canal, one of the city's most-trafficked thoroughfares.
• "We did indeed have a plan but the terrorist defeated it," NOPD chief Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday.

What they're saying: City and state officials this week have put up a united front against harsh questions about what could have been done to prevent the attack.

• "This type of event can happen in any city, and that's the tragedy of it," Gov. Jeff Landry said Thursday.
• In a contentious conversation with Britain's Sky News, Kirkpatrick bit back at a reporter who said the city's plan "allowed an attacker to drive into a crowd."
• "I take exception to that," she replied. "But if you were experienced with terrorism, you would not be asking that question."

Reality check: "Security experts acknowledged that it was impossible to protect every sidewalk and street party in America against a determined vehicle attack," the New York Times reported.

• Plus, experts say vehicle attacks are becoming more common because they're incredibly simple and extremely difficult to prevent, Axios' Avery Lotz reports.

Flashback: This is not the first time New Orleans officials have faced questions over actions surrounding city safety.

• At the onset of the pandemic 2020, Cantrell faced questions from national media over the wisdom of hosting a typical Mardi Gras celebration at the time. It was eventually understood to have been a superspreader event.
• At the time, Cantrell batted away the criticism, noting that Mardi Gras that year, recognized that year on Feb. 25, was still weeks before most of the country mandated social distancing.

What we're watching: New Orleans' Carnival celebrations kick off next week, and then the city hosts Super Bowl LIX before the celebrations culminate with Mardi Gras on March 4.

• Landry said Wednesday that officials recognize "we have a problem" with security, and "we're going to fix it."

What's next: New Orleans City Council is holding a joint public works and criminal justice committee meeting on Wednesday to address additional security measures in light of the attack.

• Cantrell also said Sunday during an FBI update that she plans to ask for federal help to bring in a tactical expert to map the city for target-hardening measures.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the joint City Council meeting getting rescheduled to Wednesday. It was originally slated for Monday.