Tragic past of New Orleans police superintendent hunting New Year’s Day attacker

It has been revealed that the New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick was involved in a similar incident in the same part of town as the New Year’s atrocity

Anne Kirkpatrick (centre) was embroiled in a driving accident in New Orleans last year (Image: Getty Images)

A New Orleans police chief was previously under investigation for crashing into pedestrians in exactly the same area of the city where the deadly New Year’s attack took place.

In August 2024 Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick was driving through New Orleans’ French Quarter when she hit a man and woman, leaving the female with injuries. Kirkpatrick’s collision was accidental, as opposed to the grim tragedy which unfolded in the early hours of January 1, where 15 people were killed and countless others wounded.

Shamsud Din Jabbar is suspected to have ploughed into a large group of revellers before getting killed himself in a resulting shootout with police. The FBI said the driver was a US citizen and Army veteran hailing from Texas, and is also investigating the massacre as an “act of terrorism”.

FBI agents working on Bourbon Street following the deadly attack(Image: AP)

The city’s emergency preparedness campaign, NOLA, said there was a “mass casualty incident” on the street known the world over for its party atmosphere.

US Army veteran Jim Mowrer said he saw an SUV “speeding” down the road and “running people over” He wrote on X: “Was on Bourbon Street in New Orleans went my wife tonight about 20 minutes ago.

“SUV came down speeding and running people over. Mass casualty event, tried to first aid but most were dead. Estimate double digit deaths.”

The world-famous street was shut down following the tragedy (Image: Getty Images)

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said: “A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”

It came hours before a man identified as Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old US Army veteran, was named as the man who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck in front of Trump Towers on New Year’s Day.

“Do I think it’s a coincidence? I don’t know,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a press conference in Las Vegas following the attacks. “We’re absolutely looking into any connections to New Orleans.”

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Image Credits and Reference: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/us-news/tragic-past-new-orleans-police-34408773