This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Ian Kersting, the assistant attorney general of a New Orleans Parish, was found dead by apparent suicide in his office, police said.
The 34-year-old was found with “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds” at his office, as confirmed by the New Orleans Police Department to WVUE-DT. Police discovered his body around 9 p.m. on Saturday at the District Attorney’s Office.
New Orleans EMS arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, police confirmed to the outlet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the New Orleans Police Department for comment.
He held the role of specialist in sexual harassment cases within the District Attorney’s Office and was involved in the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). This initiative collaborated closely with the New Orleans Police Department to investigate and prosecute sex crimes by utilizing DNA evidence that had been recovered.
New Orleans Police Department car. (NOPD)
Following his death, the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office released a statement mourning the loss of a “beloved member” of the office.
“The Orleans Parish DA’s Office family suffered a terrible tragedy Saturday night,” the statement said. “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 respect the privacy of the individuals impacted,” the statement said.
A memorial for the victims of the New Orleans New Years’ attack on Jan. 1, 2025. (Audrey Conklin/Fox News Digital)
Kersting’s death happened just days after a terrorist attack rocked the city in the early hours of New Year’s Day, leaving 14 victims dead and dozens injured.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an Army veteran from Houston, plowed a rented Ford pickup through a crowd of Bourbon Street revelers in the attack that officials say was inspired by the Islamic State.
The FBI recovered a black ISIS flag from the rented truck and found that Jabbar pledged allegiance to ISIS in online videos posted hours before the attack.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
