Jan. 1 violence prompts new warnings, extra security for special events

The deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans by a man driving a pickup truck and an electric vehicle explosion in Las Vegas the same day have prompted law enforcement officials nationwide to increase security, issue fresh safety warnings and reassess preparations ahead of events that could be targeted for violence.

The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center on Friday warned about possible copycat attacks in a security bulletin after an Army veteran from Texas rammed a truck into New Year’s revelers in the early-morning hours of Jan. 1, fatally injuring at least 14 people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

In a statement, DHS urged the public to promptly report suspicious activity and “remain vigilant of potential copycat or retaliatory attacks inspired by the New Orleans terrorist attack or other recent, vehicle-ramming incidents across the globe.”

The warning came as officials from coast to coast gear up for events such as the Golden Globes awards in Los Angeles, the Super Bowl in New Orleans and events in Washington, D.C. – the presidential election certification on Monday, the memorial service for President Jimmy Carter on Thursday and Donald Trump’s inauguration as president on Jan. 20.

William “Matt” McCool, the special agent in charge for the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, said the series of high-profile events calls for heightened security measures. U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said at a Friday news conference that “all of us are on high alert.”

“As our nation struggles to maintain a sense of safety in light of the recent mass killings and acts of terrorism, the eyes of the world would be on the United States Capitol to see what happens here on January 6,” Manger said. “We’re living in a time of a heightened threat environment toward government and elected officials.”

This is the first time the electoral certification by Congress is designated a special security event, following a request from D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and a recommendation by the House select committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Preparations are well underway for the roughly two-week stretch that will test security in the nation’s capital. Fencing has been added around the Capitol, streets are being closed and drones will be sent aloft to monitor for problems.

All D.C. police officers will be called to work beginning Sunday, joined on Inauguration Day by about 4,000 police officers from across the country and potentially nearly 8,000 National Guard troops. Officials said there is no indication of specific threats to any of the events and no major protests planned for Jan. 6.

The measures had been in the works before the Jan. 1 violence, but officials said they were reassessing security protocols after the recent incidents.

Officials with the Golden Globes did not respond to a request for comment, but Inside Edition reported law enforcement and organizers would bolster security ahead of the annual awards for movies and television in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday. The safety measures are expected to include snipers and a no-car zone surrounding the Beverly Hilton, where the event takes place.

A person familiar with security planning for the Super Bowl, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, acknowledged that this week’s attack in New Orleans will be taken into consideration but declined to specify what changes, if any, will result. The Super Bowl will be on Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

“Plans are revisited, modified, enhanced as necessary based on the latest information,” the person said.

The planning for Super Bowl security begins roughly two years ahead of the game and involves local officials, local and state police, the NFL and a collection of federal agencies, the official said.

Airspace restrictions will curtail flights over the stadium, as with other NFL games. There will also be a 300-foot “hardened perimeter” around the stadium that will involve street closures, fencing and concrete structures, according to the person familiar with the NFL’s planning.

Edward Davis, who was Boston’s police commissioner during the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon and now runs a security company for executives, said private companies are also boosting their security for the coming weeks. Many Fortune 500 companies have been on guard since the Dec. 4 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York.

“They are about as much on high alert as they can be,” Davis said of law enforcement. “We’re all holding our breath.”

Law enforcement officials moved quickly to ramp up security in some sensitive sites following the New Orleans attack, which the FBI said was inspired by the Islamic State, and the explosion of the Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Authorities said Thursday the latter incident was part of an apparent suicide by an active-duty Army soldier.

Davis said the attack in New Orleans showed how any public gathering could become a target – not just big events such as the Super Bowl – and that city and state officials should remain vigilant. Officials in some smaller cities seemed to be following that guidance.

In Galveston, Texas, shortly after the New Orleans attack, the special events director met with city management to discuss how officials would respond if something similar happened there. That was followed by another meeting on Thursday involving police and officials coordinating special events and traffic.

The city has its annual events marking Mardi Gras, which is March 4, in February and March.

“The city already uses concrete barriers and water barriers, and staff discussed other ways to stage city vehicles to prevent all vehicular access to event spaces,” Marissa Barnett, a city spokeswoman, wrote in an email.

Gary Lhotsky, an associate professor at West Virginia University who has helped coordinate security for college sporting events, said that after the New Orleans attack officials may try to restrict vehicular traffic at more events.

“In a perfect world, you would have concrete barricades around a whole facility,” Lhotsky said. “But obviously that costs money, time and personnel.”

The Department of Homeland Security has said the terrorism threat in the U.S. will remain high into 2025, driven by people motivated by varying ideologies, personal grievances and international conflicts.

Lone offenders and small groups pose the greatest threat of a surprise attack, DHS said in its annual threat assessment last year. These groups historically employ tactics such as attacking people with machetes, guns or SUVs because they can inflict mass casualties with little training.

Attacks that cause a lot of harm can inspire more violence, officials said.

Before the New Orleans attack, law enforcement officials responded to a handful of attacks in the U.S. by extremists from September 2023 and July 2024, the DHS assessment said, and disrupted several other plots.

On Dec. 6, DHS, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center issued fresh alerts to law enforcement about the potential for violence in the coming months. Among the threats: media groups supporting ISIS, the Islamic State militant group, had called for attacks in the United States and in other countries during the winter holiday season.

On Dec. 23, DHS issued a “critical incident note” to law enforcement three days after a 50-year-old Saudi man drove a car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing five people and injuring more than 200 others.

Officials warned that similar violence had happened in the United States. In November 2021, a man driving an SUV rammed into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six and wounding 62 others, the note said.

In New Orleans, city officials have said they took precautions but acknowledged that security bollards, sturdy posts that restrict vehicle access to walkways and streets, were under renovation when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, rammed a pickup truck bearing an Islamic State flag into a crowd Wednesday.

Davis said it’s not just authorities that have to remain vigilant. He advises people to stay aware of their surroundings at big events, but also during mundane trips to a shopping mall, a church or a sporting event. He said people should identify safe ways to exit and flee if there is danger.

“The best thing you can do is put space between you and whatever you think can be a problem,” Davis said. “I’m always surprised when people pull out video and start recording things when you hear gunshots. My first reaction is to get the hell out of there.”