A tweet issued by Louisiana's governor just hours after a driver mowed down more than a dozen people in New Orleans in an apparent act of terrorism drew heavy criticism on social media.
At about 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, while New Year's cheer was still in full swing, a man driving a truck that appeared to be emblazoned with an ISIS flag sped down Bourbon Street and plowed into the crowd, causing at least one death. 15 people died. and 35 injured.
Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, of Texas, hit a pedestrian, got out of his car and exchanged gunfire with police. Mr Jabbar died at the scene and two police officers were injured, but his condition is now stable.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said the suspect had a “deliberate mindset” and was “desperate to cause carnage and damage.”
An apparent act of terrorism in the heart of one of America's oldest cities shocked the nation. The Sugar Bowl game between Notre Dame and the University of Georgia, scheduled to be played at the Superdome in New Orleans on Wednesday night, has also been moved to Thursday afternoon for the following reasons: Ongoing safety concerns.
“So your 'guests' are more important than your voters… Your voice is heard loud and clear. ”
Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, 54, who took office just a year ago, responded quickly to the incident. By 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, he was commenting on the murders on social media, asking for prayers for the victims and providing updates on security. By 4 p.m., the laundry declared a state of emergencysaid they have a responsibility to protect themselves from “dangers to the state and its people.”
Social media messages from Landry were generally well-received.
But a tweet he sent out at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, about 30 minutes before the Sugar Bowl's originally scheduled kickoff, sparked a much different reaction.
“We had dinner in New Orleans tonight. Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See you all at the game tomorrow!” Landry cheerfully wrote .
He also attached a photo of himself giving a thumbs up with six other people outside Bon Ton Prime Rib. The upscale restaurant is just a few blocks from where investigators, first responders and other personnel continue to clean up the scene. identify the deceasedremovable explosives before they explode and hurt or kill more people.
The online backlash against Landry's seemingly tone-deaf post was swift and fierce.
- “We're all in this together, right? Some people are eating at fancy steakhouses, and others are being slaughtered on the streets. It's outrageous,” Canada said. wrote YouTuber David Freiheit, a well-known lawyer and former litigator. Viva Frei.
- “15 people killed in terrorist attack… let's celebrate with a steak dinner!!! What despicable people…” added another popular comment from a user identified as: DSS
- “Fire the social media team. The optics here couldn't be any worse,” he said. michael flynn jr.Son of General Michael Flynn.
- “Did you have your head dropped as a child?” joked Sean DavisCEO and co-founder of Federalist.
In response to the barrage of criticism, Landry issued a follow-up post claiming that changing the official schedule for the day would amount to “giving in to radical Islamic terrorists.”
“It is important to understand that the city of New Orleans has many visitors at this time. Safety is our top priority and we want to reassure our guests and the world that Louisiana will not be intimidated by Islamic extremist terrorists.” I want you to know,'' Landry said for about 90 minutes. After the original post.
“Our restaurants and everything New Orleans has to offer remain open!”
The next post did little to quell the anger.
- “So your 'guests' are more important than your voters…your voice is heard loud and clear,” he wrote. 1 user.
- “Wow, I'm glad I don't live in L.A. I didn't have a moment to honor the people who lost their lives and their families. I guess I was eating something like a celebratory meal myself,” he added. another.
- “In this attempt to justify your original post, you are not making yourself appear in the slightest to be callous or anti-social.” yet another.
Landry did not comment further on why he chose to eat at a fancy restaurant and brag about it on social media during such an ordeal.
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