The incident is particularly concerning given last year’s Bourbon Street terror attack is still fresh on people’s minds.
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana National Guard confirmed Monday that one of its soldiers left a service rifle in a Bourbon Street bathroom while on patrol in the New Orleans French Quarter.
About 350 National Guard soldiers are currently on patrol in the Quarter as an extra layer of protection, 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.
French Quarter residents who saw the post were troubled by 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 French Quarter performer.
The incident is particularly concerning given last year’s Bourbon Street terror attack is still fresh on 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, a French Quarter worker.
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.
The National Guard patrols started in December. The troops are expected to stay through the end of February.