'Wonderful' Briton named as victim in New Orleans vehicle attack
A British man is among those who were killed in an attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day.
In the first hours of 2025, a pickup truck was driven through crowds of people celebrating the incoming year, with initial projections suggesting that at least 10 people had died and over 30 had been injured.
At time of writing, there are now at least 14 people who have died and 35 injured, and among the dead is 31-year-old Briton Edward Pettifer.
Metropolitan Police confirmed that they were supporting the family of the Chelsea man, who a New Orleans coroner said had died from 'blunt force injuries'.
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The Met Police and the Foreign Office are helping the family through this difficult time, including with the arrangements to return Edward's body to the UK.
In a statement, Edward's family said: "The entire family are devastated at the tragic news of Ed‘s death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.
“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack.
“We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private. Thank you.”
The attack took place at around 3:15am local time on New Orleans' Bourbon Street and of the identified victims, the youngest is aged 18 and the oldest is 63.
The suspect in the attack is 42-year-old Texas resident Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen and army veteran, who allegedly drove the pickup truck into a crowd of revellers celebrating the New Year before getting out and firing a gun.
He was then shot dead by police, with the FBI saying that a search of his car discovered an Islamic State flag while explosive devices were recovered nearby.
Investigators believe that the man acted alone in committing a 'premeditated and evil act'.
US president Joe Biden said that the attacker had posted a video indicating he had been inspired by Islamic State, saying he had been briefed by the FBI that videos had been uploaded 'mere hours before the attack'.
British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "The shockingly violent attack in New Orleans is horrific. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, the emergency responders and the people of the United States at this tragic time.”
Some of the people who were hospitalised by the New Orleans attack have since been discharged, but others remain in intensive care and continue to receive treatment.
Joe Harker