Media

By: Anthony McAuley and Stephanie Riegel | nola.com | January 1, 2025

As New Orleans officials responded Wednesday to a horrific attack that killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens more, they also faced questions about the city’s readiness to host one of the world’s biggest sporting events — Super Bowl LIX — in less than six weeks.

Just hours after the early morning attack, which law enforcement officials are investigating as an act of terrorism, Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency that he said would allow him to tap into all available resources ahead of the Feb. 9 Super Bowl in New Orleans. The governor said he originally planned to issue the declaration on Thursday to kick off Super Bowl safety preparations, but amended the order after the deadly New Year’s Day attack.

“It is important for our citizens and guests to know we are doing everything we can to secure their safety,” Landry said at a press conference Wednesday, where he also announced plans to deploy 100 National Guard troops to New Orleans. “The safety of this entire city is paramount to me.”

Security planning for next month’s Super Bowl has been underway for two years, organizers said. Yet, with just over a month to go before thousands of fans are expected to flock to the Caesars Superdome for the game, New Orleans tourism officials and other event organizers said Wednesday that they will review the security arrangements in the wake of the deadly attack. 

“There will be more deep conversations in the coming days and weeks to discuss possible enhancements for the Super Bowl,” said Walt Leger III, head of New Orleans & Company, the city’s official tourism marketing organization. “We already had a great plan in place and certainly when there is an event like this it makes you look and see what further enhancements might be made.”

Michael Hecht, CEO of GNO Inc., the regional economic development agency and chair of the Super Bowl’s infrastructure committee, said he was cutting short a trip abroad and heading back to New Orleans for meetings to review event plans.

The suspect in Wednesday’s attack, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a truck into revelers on Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day before he was fatally shot by police. Initial investigations suggested it was a planned attack and that Jabbar may have been working with others, the FBI said. 

Even as tourism officials and business leaders began to assess the longer-term security implications of the attack, they emphasized that they are focused on the immediate aftermath. 

“The focus right now is on the investigation response, the care of victims and assessing what we need to do in the immediate wake of this horrific event,” Leger said.

Security questions

At Wednesday’s press conference, city officials were questioned about the security measures around Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a popular tourist destination that was especially crowded this week as college football fans visited for the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which had been scheduled for Wednesday evening but was postponed after the attack.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell acknowledged that bollards, intended to prevent vehicles from driving onto Bourbon Street, were not in place early Wednesday because they are being replaced by a more effective system of pedestrian barricades ahead of the Super Bowl.

Landry said installing the new barricades and ensuring their effectiveness will “be a top priority as we go into Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.”

But New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said even if the bollards had been in place, the suspect still would have been able to circumvent them because he drove onto the sidewalk. She also said that security would be enhanced around the Superdome for the Sugar Bowl game between Georgia and Notre Dame, which was rescheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday.

The stadium “will be locked down through the game tomorrow,” she said. “That’s a part of that safety plan, and we’ve already been implementing it.”

Super Bowl safety

The Super Bowl is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Orleans next month.

The NFL finale typically boosts a host city’s economy by up to $500 million as hotels and restaurants are booked solid for at least the game weekend. The event is also seen as a huge opportunity to promote a city and region, with media from around the world covering the game and thousands of corporate events held alongside the event.

Organizers have been making security plans for several years as New Orleans prepares to host its record-tying 13th Super Bowl.

“We have been working collaboratively with our public safety partners and the NFL for more than two years on comprehensive security plans for the 2025 Super Bowl,” said Jay Cicero, CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Federation, in an emailed statement. “These discussions and plans will continue in the coming days and weeks ahead.”

Gov. Landry has said the state will play a major role in Super Bowl preparations, including security, promising that “New Orleans will be one of the safest cities in the country” by game day.

Businessman Shane Guidry, Landry’s close confidant who advises the administration on public safety in New Orleans, said Wednesday that the attack calls for a reevaluation of Super Bowl security plans.

“Obviously, if this is tied to a larger terrorist plot, we need to rethink security measures for Super Bowl,” he said. “But I think we can do it safely, with local, state and federal law enforcement working together.”

Jane Cooper, chair of the French Quarter Management District, said local business owners have been pushing for years for Bourbon Street and other areas of the French Quarter to be limited to pedestrians for safety and other reasons.

“We’ve all been aware of the fact that a vehicle can cause a great deal of damage to great many people,” said Cooper, whose group has coordinated with city officials and Super Bowl organizers on event safety. “I would expect that there’ll be serious discussion about vehicles in the French Quarter, particularly on Bourbon Street.”

Coordinating efforts

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, requires significant federal coordination around the Super Bowl due to the event’s national and international importance. 

DHS, the FBI, local law enforcement and private security teams typically coordinate security measures. Those include advanced screening technologies at event entry points, controlled airspace, counter-terrorism units on standby, crowd control and evacuation measures.

Metropolitan Crime Commission Board Chairman Gregory Rusovich said he is confident that the city will be prepared. He noted that crime has been declining in New Orleans and other cities after spiking during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Now, we will double down between local, state and federal law enforcement to protect visitors and locals for the Super Bowl,” he said.

He added that it would be unfair to blame New Orleans for Wednesday’s attack.

“I don’t think you can blame New Orleans for a terrorist act,” he said. “Every city is vulnerable to that threat.”