NOLA Prosecutor Found Dead Inside District Attorney’s Office in Reported Suicide

Authorities in New Orleans are investigating the apparent suicide of Orleans Parish Assistant District Attorney Ian Kersting, who was found dead inside the district attorney’s office building on Saturday night.

BREAKING: New Orleans Assistant District Attorney Ian Kersting has been found dead in an apparent suicide.

Kersting was a prosecutor who specialized in collaborating with the New Orleans Police Department’s sex crimes detectives to investigate and prosecute sexual offenses using… pic.twitter.com/YUQNGhOcVi

— The General (@GeneralMCNews) January 5, 2025

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According to local reports from WVUE, the 34-year-old was discovered around 9 p.m. with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Kersting’s body was located within the staff offices of Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams.

Kersting was a member of the office’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), a program that collaborates with New Orleans Police Department detectives to investigate and prosecute sex crimes using DNA evidence.

In a statement issued by the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, colleagues expressed their shock and grief over Kersting’s death.

“The Orleans Parish DA’s Office family suffered a terrible tragedy Saturday night,” the statement read.

“Assistant District Attorney Ian Kersting was a beloved member of our office, and we send our love and deepest condolences to his family. It’s important that we support each other right now, and we ask the media to respect the privacy of the individuals impacted.”

Kersting’s death comes just days after a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street claimed the lives of 14 people and left over 30 injured.

On New Year’s Day, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, drove a rented truck through a crowd in New Orleans’s entertainment district, causing mass casualties.

Authorities later discovered that Jabbar had pledged allegiance to ISIS in social media posts hours before the attack.

An ISIS flag and several explosive devices were recovered from his vehicle.

Joe Biden addressed the nation following the attack, confirming the terrorist’s stated affiliations and pledging federal support for the ongoing investigation.

#BREAKING: Joe Biden reveals the New Orleans attacker was “inspired by ISIS,” and posted multiple videos on social media “expressing a desire to kiII”

THE FBI DIDN’T CATCH THIS? pic.twitter.com/q8S6GO4Gu3

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 2, 2025

The New Orleans Police Department has yet to release additional details regarding Kersting’s death.

Kersting’s tragic death and the recent terrorist attack have left the city shaken as authorities work to address both incidents.

The community and law enforcement continue to grapple with the aftermath of these devastating events.

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