President Biden expressed his condolences to the victims of the New Orleans New Year's Day attack and said at an interfaith prayer service with the families of the victims that Louisiana is a city with a tough spirit.
“If there's one thing we know, it's that New Orleans defines its strength and resiliency. Whether it's in the form of this attack, a hurricane or a superstorm, it's that you define strength and resiliency. No matter what, people will rise up in this city. That's the spirit of America,” Biden said at the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.
Biden called the attack a “terrible terrorist attack.” Shamsuddin Jabbar, an American citizen from Texas who had a flag of the ISIS extremist group on his trailer hitch, drove his pickup truck onto Bourbon Street in the early hours of January 1, killing 14 people and killing dozens of people. Ten people were injured.
“I know that events like this are devastating and the shock and pain is still very raw. My wife Jill and I stand with you in our grief and prayers and hope you are not alone. I'm here to tell you, the rest of the nation is watching you,” Biden said, adding that he has experienced loss in his own life.
“I think it's been five days of me sitting around the kitchen table staring at empty chairs without hearing a voice,” he added.
He spoke about some of the victims, saying they were students, athletes, warehouse managers, cooks and single mothers who had just been promoted at work.
“Some ran into the chaos trying to save others. We remember them,” he said.
He said he also paid tribute to those injured in the attack and the first responders and called on his team and law enforcement to quickly complete the investigation.
The service at St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter was attended by leaders of various faiths. Before their speeches, Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden lit a semicircular candle for each of the 14 victims after the Rev. Ajani Gibson, pastor of St. Peter Claver Church in New Orleans, read the names of the victims. A candle was placed in the middle.
Prior to the service, the Bidens met with families affected by the attack, survivors and local law enforcement.
They arrived in New Orleans on Monday and stopped on Bourbon Street to lay flowers at a shrine in memory of the victims. They stood in silence with their heads bowed before heading to the church.
Biden met with Vice President Harris and the Department of Homeland Security team last week to discuss the latest developments in the New Orleans investigation and the Las Vegas truck explosion.
After the meeting, the president said there was no evidence of a connection between the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks and that the New Orleans attacker acted alone. He also reiterated information from the FBI earlier Thursday that Mr. Jabbar had planted explosives at a location near New Orleans and had a remote detonator in his car.
President-elect Trump slammed the Biden administration's border on Truth Social for inviting violent crime and blamed the recent attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas on America's immigration situation.
