President Joe Biden traveled to New Orleans on Jan. 6 to offer his support to the families, survivors, and local law enforcement affected by the terrorist attack that took 14 lives on New Year’s Day.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden participated in an interfaith prayer service held by the Archdiocese of New Orleans at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis.
Before the cathedral, the Bidens stopped at Bourbon Street, the site of the Jan. 1 mass killing.
The first lady laid flowers at a shrine for the victims. The couple stood in silence with their heads bowed. The president crossed himself before they headed back to the motorcade for the short drive to St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter.
During their visit, Biden first greeted the families, survivors, and local law enforcement affected by the tragic attack. The president and first lady then placed candles on a table, one for each of the 14 victims.
Biden later delivered remarks, offering his support to the families of the victims.
“My wife and I are here to stand with you, grieve with you, pray with you, let you know you’re not alone,” he said. “I know events like this are hard, the shock and pain so very raw.”
He said that he has instructed his team to make sure that all federal resources are available to expedite the investigation.
“I promise you the day will come … when the memory of your loved one will bring a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye … my prayer is that that day comes sooner than later,” Biden said.
At the start of the service, Archbishop Gregory Aymond read out a message of condolence from Pope Francis, whom Biden is due to visit in Rome later this week.
On Jan. 6, the Biden administration announced additional actions in response to the recent attack, particularly to help the city prepare for upcoming key events, including Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl.
The Mardi Gras, which takes place from Feb. 21 to March 4, has been raised to a level one Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR), the highest possible threat rating assigned to an event. Super Bowl LIX is already a SEAR 1 event. Hence, these two major events will receive extensive federal support to ensure their safety and security.
“Federal assistance could include explosive detection canine teams, cyber risk assessments, venue screening, and field intelligence teams, and air security and tactical operations support in addition to the support already provided by state and local governments,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
The FBI has deployed additional special agents, analysts, and bomb technicians to help in the investigation of the attack.
The federal government is also helping small business owners impacted by the tragic event. The Small Business Administration announced on Jan. 3 that it would provide federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Louisiana to offset any economic loss caused by the attack.
In addition, the federal government launched on-site mental health services to support recovery.
Federal investigators earlier stated that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, who carried out the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, had sworn allegiance to the ISIS terrorist group.
An ISIS flag was discovered on the hitch of the truck that Jabbar had used, officials said.
“All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said on Jan. 5 at a press conference.
“We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders.”
