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Dozens of Victims of New Orleans New Year’s Attack File Lawsuits Against City and Police Department
In the aftermath of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, in which 14 people were killed and dozens injured, a group of victim’s families are filing lawsuits against the city and its police department. The lawsuits claim that the city and its agencies were negligent in providing adequate security measures to prevent the tragedy.
One of the lawsuits, filed by Morris Bart, LLC, names the City of New Orleans, Hard Rock Construction, and engineering firm Mott MacDonald, LLC as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants had numerous opportunities to fix known security vulnerabilities but failed to take action, leading to the tragedy.
The lawsuit also claims that Mott MacDonald, which was hired to provide engineering services, should have been more proactive in addressing the risks and should have taken steps to prevent the attack. "We have done an extensive investigation and believe that the three defendants could have and should have taken steps to prevent this tragedy," said Morris Bart, the lawyer representing the victims.
A second lawsuit is expected to be filed on behalf of at least two dozen victims against the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is conducting an independent review of potential security lapses that may have led to the attack and stated that her investigation is still in the "very early stages." Murrill described New Orleans as a "joyful city" that hosts many events, including New Year’s Eve, the Sugar Bowl, Mardi Gras, and the Super Bowl, and emphasized the need for adequate security infrastructure to protect against potential threats.
The attack was carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a terrorist from Texas who was killed in a shootout with police. The FBI has released surveillance footage showing Jabbar an hour before the attack, and authorities have confirmed that he was motivated by ISIS extremism.