New Orleans police are hunting for a man believed to be in his 40s or 50s who walked into a bank in the 4000 block of Canal Street, demanded cash and threatened to blow up the building, authorities said. The teller handed over money, and the suspect slipped out before officers arrived, while detectives fanned out across nearby blocks to canvass the area.
Suspect description and what happened
According to the New Orleans Police Department, the man walked into the Canal Street bank, approached a teller, demanded money and told staff he had a bomb. The teller complied and the suspect left the branch before police could get there. Detectives say they are now combing through surveillance footage and chasing down leads, as reported by WDSU.
Canal Street has seen other bank robberies
This is not the first time banks along Canal Street have found themselves in a robber's sights. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced a federal indictment last year in a Capital One robbery on the 4100 block of Canal Street, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Local television coverage also highlighted an attempted armed robbery at a Hancock Whitney branch in December 2023, as reported by WVUE.
How to help
Officials are asking anyone with information on the Canal Street bank robbery and bomb threat to contact the New Orleans Police Department. Tips can also be shared anonymously with Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at (504) 822-1111, per Crimestoppers GNO.
Legal note
Robbing a bank and making threats about explosives can land a suspect in serious legal trouble at both the state and federal levels. Federal prosecutors have previously turned to the federal bank-robbery statute, 18 U.S.C. § 2113, in Canal Street cases, and an indictment last year laid out the potential federal penalties, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
