President Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Monday to honor the victims of the New Year’s Day attack, as the community there mourns the loss of at least 14 people.
A driver intentionally slammed a truck early New Year’s Day into a crowd of people celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 and injuring many more, authorities said. The attacker is dead, and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said the attack was an act of terrorism. The FBI has identified the man responsible as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S.-born citizen from Texas and Army veteran who had posted several videos proclaiming his support for ISIS.
The president and first lady on Monday afternoon laid flowers at a memorial site on Bourbon Street and stood in silence with their heads bowed. They later attended an interfaith prayer service hosted by the Archdiocese of New Orleans at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis. The president privately met with the grieving families, survivors and local law enforcement ahead of the evening vigil, the White House said.
“I know events like this are hard, the shock and pain is still so very raw. My wife, Jill, and I are here to stand with you, grieve with you, pray with you, let you know you are not alone,” Mr. Biden said at the service.
Mr. Biden said New Orleans “defines strength and resilience,” saying people in the city “get back up,” whether it’s in the aftermath of a terrorist attack or a hurricane.
The New Orleans trip comes amid a snowstorm in Washington, D.C., which is expected to drop up to 12 inches of snow.
Mr. Biden and his administration are in their final days in office, with two weeks to go until Inauguration Day. As the president was en route to New Orleans Monday afternoon, Congress counted the votes of the Electoral College and Vice President Kamala Harris formally cemented Trump’s victory.
Monday also marks four years since Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, injuring several police officers, in an attempt to stop the counting of the Electoral College votes.
