Security barriers removed for repairs before New Orleans attack

Louisiana officials have said the street barriers were malfunctioning and were undergoing renovations before the city hosts the NFL Super Bowl on 9 February. The short and sturdy posts – made of concrete, metal or other materials – are meant to block cars from entering pedestrian areas. Christopher Raia, a deputy assistant director with the FBI, on Thursday called the attack an act of terrorism. During the early morning hours on New Year’s Day, a police vehicle was parked at an intersection to block access to Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, where the attack took place, but the suspect drove around the car and onto the sidewalk, police said. Police have named Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas resident and US Army veteran, as the suspect.