Tim Reid, Ned Randolph and Helen Coster
WASHINGTON/NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Law enforcement officials in U.S. cities stepped up security on Thursday after a deadly attack in New Orleans and an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas raised fears of new threats in a month filled with large-scale public… events.
Police in Washington, the site of a state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter on Jan. 9 and the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20, said in a statement that they have increased security throughout the city “in light of recent events” and that the community will take notice increased police presence.
Republican Trump is also scheduled to hold a “victory rally” in Washington Capital one (NYSE:) Arena on January 19. By Wednesday night, as fans arrived for a Washington Wizards basketball game at the arena, vehicle barriers closed off an adjacent street, a security measure not usually seen before an NBA team’s home games.
Trump’s victory in the presidential election on November 5 should be confirmed by the US Congress on January 6 – the fourth anniversary of the attack on the US Capitol building by Trump supporters at the same ceremony in 2021.
For the first time, the ceremony was designated a special national security event, a decision made before the New Orleans attacks. The appointment means the US Secret Service will assume a leading security role, the agency told Reuters in a statement.
“We will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to assess the ever-changing threat landscape and will adjust our security plans as needed,” said Matthew Young, a spokesman for the US Secret Service.
THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ATTACK ON NEW ORLEANS CONTINUES
An investigation into what motivated a U.S. Army veteran carrying an Islamic State flag on his truck to plow into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans continued as authorities stepped up security ahead of the Sugar Bowl college football game, which will be played less than a mile from chaos on Wednesday. At least 15 people, including the suspect, were killed in the attack.
FBI officials said they were looking for a connection between the New Orleans attack and a separate incident Wednesday in which a Tesla (NASDAQ: ) Cybertruck filled with gasoline canisters and large fireworks exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
The FBI’s Washington field office said in a statement that while there is no information linking any local threat to the New Orleans attack, it is sharing information with other law enforcement agencies to prevent potential threats.
On Wednesday, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency in Orleans Parish ahead of the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 and Mardi Gras, which begins on Jan. 6. Authorities said Thursday that the governor’s announcement will allow additional resources to remain in the city until the end of Mardi Gras on March 4.
New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno said the security perimeter around the Superdome, where the Sugar Bowl game was scheduled to begin Thursday afternoon, had been expanded with water-filled barricades. The stadium was repeatedly flooded with bomb-sniffing dogs.
The game was postponed from Wednesday after the truck attack.
“The level of resources and security in my opinion is unprecedented,” Moreno told a reporter. That includes 100 National Guard members and law enforcement officials from multiple agencies, she said.
In New York, there was more police than usual around Penn Station, the main train station, and nearby roads were closed.
Mayor Eric Adams said on social media that following the attack in New Orleans, the NYPD increased security at several locations, including Trump Tower and Times Square.
Despite the lack of credible threats, “we remain vigilant,” Adams wrote.
The NYPD said in a statement: “The NYPD is closely monitoring the recent events in New Orleans and coordinating with federal and regional partners. We have not identified any specific/credible threats or any connection to New York at this time.”
