A man was arrested in New Orleans Saturday for making a bomb threat near the scene of a deadly truck attack just days prior. Mark Ball, 62, allegedly told store employees he had a bomb, prompting an evacuation and search that yielded no explosives.
Ball was subsequently charged with theft and communicating false information about arson, according to local law enforcement reports. The incident occurred on Royal Street, just a block from where a truck attack on New Year's Day claimed the lives of 14 people.
This arrest comes amid heightened security concerns in the city. The suspect in the fatal truck attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was identified as an ISIS supporter and had planned to detonate explosive devices, but the devices were safely deactivated by authorities.
Authorities are facing scrutiny regarding their safety measures in the area, particularly the removal of safety barriers on Bourbon Street before the Super Bowl. Critiques center on the inadequate security plan leading up to the tragic events. Despite criticism, law enforcement officials maintain that Jabbar was determined to cause extensive destruction.
