New Orleans Assistant District Attorney found dead by suicide

The New Orleans community was rocked by tragedy as Ian Kersting, the assistant attorney general of Orleans Parish, was found dead in his office in an apparent suicide. The 34-year-old was discovered with “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds” at the District Attorney’s Office by police around 9 p.m. on Saturday.

New Orleans EMS arrived at the scene, but Kersting was pronounced dead on-site. The New Orleans Police Department confirmed the details of his death to WVUE-DT.

Kersting, who was admitted to the Louisiana bar in October 2020, was a specialist in sexual harassment cases at the District Attorney’s Office. He was assigned to the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), which worked alongside the New Orleans Police Department to investigate and prosecute sex crimes using DNA evidence.

Following his tragic passing, the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office released a statement expressing their sorrow over the loss of a “beloved member” of their team. They extended their deepest condolences to his family and called for privacy for those affected by the tragedy.

Kersting’s death came just days after the city was shaken by a terrorist attack on New Year’s Day. The attack, carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an Army veteran from Houston, left 14 victims dead and numerous others injured. Jabbar, who plowed a rented Ford pickup through a crowd of Bourbon Street revelers, was reportedly inspired by the Islamic State. The FBI recovered an ISIS flag from the truck and found that Jabbar had pledged allegiance to ISIS in online videos prior to the attack.

The New Orleans community is reeling from these back-to-back tragedies, and the loss of Ian Kersting has left a void in the District Attorney’s Office. As the city mourns the victims of these devastating events, it is crucial to offer support to those affected and come together in solidarity during these difficult times.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, contributed to this report. For story tips and ideas, you can reach out to Sarah at sarah.rumpf@fox.com or on Twitter at @s_rumpfwhitten.