President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit New Orleans on Monday following a terrorist attack in the French Quarter that claimed 14 lives and injured around 35 individuals on New Year’s Day. The White House stated that the president and First Lady Jill Biden will join the community to mourn the victims and meet with local officials to offer support.
During his visit, Biden will engage with officials to receive updates on the investigation into the incident. Authorities have identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud-Dim Jabbar, a Texas native and U.S. Army veteran, who drove a rented pickup truck onto Bourbon Street before being shot and killed by police.
Biden expressed the resilience of the people of New Orleans in the face of this tragedy, emphasizing that the attack and its extremist ideology would not break their spirit. He further declared a commitment to pursuing ISIS and other terrorist organizations relentlessly, ensuring they find no refuge in the U.S.
The FBI has taken the lead in investigating the attack, with support from Homeland Security and local law enforcement. After completing their investigation of the area, the FBI allowed the City of New Orleans to reopen Bourbon Street on Thursday afternoon, restoring access to the popular tourist destination.