The incident is particularly concerning as memories remain fresh of last year’s Bourbon Street attack in New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana National Guard confirmed Monday that one of its soldiers left a service rifle in a bathroom on Bourbon Street while on patrol in the New Orleans’ French Quarter, one of the city’s busiest tourist districts.
About 350 National Guard soldiers are currently assigned to patrol the area as an added layer of security, supporting local law enforcement.
On Sunday night, one guardsman went into the Lafitte Hotel on Bourbon Street to use the bathroom. A picture posted on social media shows what he left behind: his service rifle, leaning against the sink.
Residents and workers in the area who saw the post expressed concern over what could have happened.
“I kind of feel bad for him because that’s one of the main rules of being in the Army I would think is you’re always supposed to have your weapon in your hands and not in somebody else’s,” said Nervous Dwayne, a performer who works in the area.
The incident raised additional concerns because last year’s attack in the French Quarter remains fresh in many people’s minds.
“Anybody who figured that they wanted to be a hero or do another attack on the French Quarter, it could have been bad,” said Benji, who works in the neighborhood.
A National Guard spokeswoman confirmed the incident.
Lt. Col. Noel Collins said, “The weapon was returned to the Louisiana National Guard, and the soldier and incident are being handled internally.”
Bob Simms, who lives in the French Quarter and co-founded the French Quarter Task Force, called it an unfortunate mistake.
“These guardsmen are here for an extended period of time and they’re working many, many hours a day. You see them all the time going backwards and forward on foot, you know, just making the area safer. So, it’s a mistake. It’s a pity it happened but mistakes happen,” Simms said.
National Guard patrols in the area began in December and are expected to continue through the end of February.
