Retired FBI agent dissects New Orleans attack

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The investigation into a deadly attack in New Orleans on New Years Day is in its early stages and a local retired FBI agent will be following it closely.

At least 15 people were killed were killed when a driver plowed a truck through people on a busy Bourbon Street. The FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism.

“The people that were down there just enjoying themselves, celebrating, having a good time, and to have somebody like this commit the carnage they did is just another example of how things can go south real fast," said retired FBI agent Harry Trombitas.

Trombitas had a nearly three-decade career in the FBI. He said he previously worked with the Columbus Division of Police on security for big events in central Ohio.

He's now looking to what comes of the investigation in New Orleans. One of the questions has been about how the suspect was able to get the truck onto the world-famous street.

“There never should be a vehicle that's capable of driving down a street that's going to be very populated and that, but again I don't want to point fingers at anybody because I wasn't part of it, but that's a question I want to know," Trombitas said.

Officials in Louisiana Wednesday afternoon gave an update about the attack. The assistant special agent in charge of the New Orleans field office said the FBI does not believe the suspect acted alone. 

“One of the things we constantly stress is that these kinds of things do not happen in a vacuum. There’s usually somebody else involved or somebody with knowledge of what somebody is planning to do," Trombitas said.

Trombitas pointed out this is the second recent attack in which a vehicle was used as a weapon. A few days before Christmas, a car was driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in Germany. Trombitas said lessons can be learned from both incidents.

“I know everybody is on extra high alert now after what happened in New Orleans, so we’ll see what happens. You can probably never prevent 100% of the things that could happen but you do your best to eliminate every one of them that you can," he said.