State funeral For former President Jimmy Carter It is an attractive target for “violent extremists to attack”, especially after Carjacking in New Orleans that killed 14 people, although there is no known threat of death, according to a new security assessment obtained by ABC News.
“State funerals are considered no-notice events that significantly reduce planning times for potential adversaries,” the document says. “However, state funerals remain attractive targets because of the large gathering of senior US government officials, foreign dignitaries and heads of state, as well as the symbolic nature of the venues and the expected media attention.”
U.S. flags, behind the U.S. Capitol, fly at half-mast after the death of former President Jimmy Carter, on Dec. 30, 2024, in Washington.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Carter died on December 29 At 100 years old, he will be honored with a state funeral at Washington Cathedral on Thursday. President Joe Biden will deliver the eulogy and President-elect Donald Trump is expected to attend.
Carter’s memorial service will begin Saturday as he moves from his hometown of Plains, Georgia to Atlanta. A ceremony will be held at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on Saturday evening.
Carter’s remains will be flown to Washington on Tuesday, where he will remain at the Capitol from Tuesday to Thursday. After Service at Washington CathedralCarter’s remains return to the Plains.
Official presidential portraits of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter hang at the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains, Georgia on December 30, 2024.
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images
The assessment also pointed to a number of specifically designated security events this month, including the Electoral College certification on January 6 and Trump’s inauguration on January 20. actors,” the document says.
“Targets may include special events and ceremonies related to state funerals and related First Amendment-protected events surrounding these ceremonies,” the assessment said. “While there is no indication that the intersection of these two events will lead to an increased threat picture, the large potential crowds of both may make them an attractive target for threat actors.”
Law enforcement officials say there are no known threats to Washington, D.C., but the city will remain in a heightened threat environment for the rest of the month.
He said the D.C. National Guard has been activated and the Secret Service is deploying agents and specialists from field offices across the country to supplement the workforce. The local DC police department has also been fully activated and will have nearly 4,000 additional officers from around the country assisting with policing for special events.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that the Department of Homeland Security and federal law enforcement have been preparing for months to ensure the safety of the events and the safety of those attending, with “well-established” protocols.
It was also specifically mentioned in the document New Year’s Eve attack in New Orleans“Using vehicles alone or in conjunction with other tactics has become a recurring tactic used by violent threat actors in the West.”
The document added that “large crowds gathering in publicly accessible places to observe or participate in State funeral ceremonies may become targets of opportunity for vehicle attacks.”
A street performer waves through a line of people on Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, after the area reopened to the public following a deadly attack in New Orleans.
Jack Brook/AP
Fourteen people died and dozens were injured when a man drove a truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day. The suspect who was killed in the attack also posted several videos online “pleading for ISIS,” citing that he had joined ISIS earlier this summer, according to the FBI.
ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.
