The FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan, who previously told the media and public that the New Orleans attack was “not a terrorist event”, has been temporarily reassigned. Sources tell Fox News that Duncan’s initial statement contradicted the findings of the FBI, which eventually released a statement using the word “terrorism”.
After the original press conference, the FBI released a statement calling the attack terrorism, and both Attorney General Merrick Garland and President Biden referred to it as a terrorist act. The reassignment of Duncan did not include any further information, but it was confirmed that she is still with the FBI.
The incident occurred on January 1, 2025, when a 42-year-old man drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring dozens. He then jumped out of the truck and began shooting at police officers, who killed him.
Prior to the reassignment, Duncan had stated at a press conference that the attack was not related to terrorism. However, it was later confirmed that the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had an ISIS flag in his truck and was researching previous terror attacks before the incident. The FBI also revealed that Jabbar had bought coolers to conceal IEDs and had traveled from Houston to New Orleans to carry out his planned attack.
In the same press conference where Duncan initially said the attack was not a terrorist event, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell stated that the city did indeed suffer a terror attack, which was investigated as such. The FBI subsequently clarified that multiple statements were released on the day of the attack, including a statement using the word “terrorism”.
