President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit New Orleans on Monday to support the community following a devastating New Year’s Day terror attack that left 14 people dead and dozens injured.
The White House announced that the Bidens will “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack on January 1 and meet with officials on the ground” during their visit to Louisiana. This announcement comes just days after Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, drove a pickup truck into crowds on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning. Jabbar was shot and killed by law enforcement shortly after the attack.
The FBI has confirmed that Jabbar acted alone and described the attack as “100% inspired by ISIS.” President Biden addressed the New Orleans attack and a separate incident in Las Vegas, where a vehicle exploded in front of a Trump-branded property, during a speech at the White House on Thursday. He stated that investigations are ongoing to determine if there is any connection between the two incidents, although no evidence has been found so far.
“We’re also continuing to investigate whether or not there’s any connection between the New Orleans attack and the explosion in Las Vegas. As of now, as of now — I’ve just been briefed — they have not found any evidence of such a connection,” Biden said. He added that he has directed his team to expedite the investigations to provide answers to the unresolved questions. “They’re making every single resource available to get the job done,” Biden emphasized.
On Friday, Biden mentioned that he had spoken to some of the families of the victims in New Orleans but did not provide specific details. When asked about his conversations with the families, Biden responded, “I’ve spoken to some, not all.”
The Bidens’ visit to New Orleans aims to offer solace and support to a community reeling from the tragic events of New Year’s Day, as the investigation into the attack continues.