A somber crowd on New Orleans' famously festive Bourbon Street left flowers and candles Friday at the scene of the New Year's Day truck attack that killed 14 people while police stepped up their presence in the busy French Quarter ahead of Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, 13 people were still hospitalised out of more about 30 who suffered injuries when a driver slammed his rented pickup into a crowd early Wednesday as holiday revellers celebrated the start of 2025. Eight people were in intensive care at University Medical Centre New Orleans, spokesperson Carolina Giepert said.
Authorities say the attack was carried out by 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a former Army soldier from Texas who posted social media messages saying he was inspired by the Islamic State militant group. Jabbar was fatally shot in a firefight with police at the scene of the deadly crash.
Famous worldwide for its festive vibes, Bourbon Street was solemn. A day after the crime scene reopened to the public, locals and tourists stopped to pay respect to victims of the attack as the sound of bucket drums echoed. People shed tears while gathering at a growing memorial. Some dropped flowers and candles while others dropped to their knees to say a quick prayer.
The White House said President Joe Biden would travel to New Orleans next week. The president and first lady planned to visit Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”
Police used multiple vehicles and barricades on Friday to block traffic at Bourbon and Canal Streets as crowds of pedestrians swelled. Other law enforcement agencies helped city officers provide extra security, said Reese Harper, a spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department.
“This enhanced safety effort will continue daily, not just during large events,” Harper said in a news release.
The Joan of Arc parade in the French Quarter was scheduled to take place Monday to kick off the busy Carnival season ahead of Mardi Gras, which arrives March 4 this year. Antoinette de Alteriis, one of the parade organizers, said thousands of people typically attend.
Meanwhile, New Orleans will also host the Super Bowl on February 9, barely a month after the New Year's attack raised security concerns that delayed college football's Sugar Bowl by a day.
The FBI continued to hunt for clues about Jabbar after the agency concluded he was not aided by anyone else in the attack, which killed an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former Princeton University football star, among others.
The FBI said that hours before the attack, Jabbar, a 42-year-old American citizen from Texas, posted five videos on his Facebook account in which he proclaimed his support for the Islamic State group and previewed the violence that he would soon unleash in the famed French Quarter district.
It was the deadliest IS-inspired assault on US soil in years, laying bare what federal officials have warned is a resurgent international terrorism threat.
