New Orleans terror attack exposed FBI’s “cracks and vulnerabilities on a national level,” ex-special agent says
A former FBI special agent is speaking out about the New Orleans terror attack in 2015, saying it exposed “cracks and vulnerabilities” within the agency on a national level.
Christopher Swee, who spent 25 years with the FBI, claims that the agency’s response to the attack was slow and inadequate, and that it revealed weaknesses in the way they handled terrorist investigations.
Swee pointed to the fact that it took the FBI over 48 hours to identify the shooter, who was later revealed to be 18-year-old John Houser, as one of the major issues. He also criticized the agency’s use of advanced technology and resources, saying that they were not utilized effectively in this case.
“It’s a black eye for the FBI,” Swee said. “It’s a crisis of confidence in the FBI’s ability to take on these types of threats.”
Swee, who served as an FBI special agent from 1989 to 2014 and was involved in several high-profile cases, including the Unabomber and the Oklahoma City bombing, believes that the agency needs to do more to modernize its approach to counter-terrorism.
“The FBI needs to get with the times,” Swee said. “The world has changed, the threats have changed, but the FBI’s approach has not.”
The New Orleans terrorist attack, which occurred on July 23, 2015, saw 10 people killed and three injured after gunman John Houser opened fire at a crowded movie theater in the French Quarter. The attack was later determined to be a solo attack, carried out by Houser, who was killed by police after the shooting.