Biden visits New Orleans to mourn with families of New Year's attack victims

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden visited New Orleans on Monday to mourn with the families of the victims of a deadly New Year's Day attack.

"My wife and I are here to stand with you, grieve with you, pray with you, let you know you’re not alone," Biden said at an interfaith prayer service at St. Louis Cathedral.

He said he had directed his team to make every federal resource available to complete the investigation quickly.

"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," he said.
At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in New Orleans when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran, drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street.

Earlier, Biden and first lady Jill Biden stopped at Bourbon Street, laid flowers at a shrine for victims, and stood in silence with their heads bowed.

According to the FBI, Jabbar drove from Houston, Texas to New Orleans on Tuesday evening and posted several videos online expressing his support for Daesh/ISIS shortly before the attack, which followed tactics encouraged by the terror group.

The FBI found bomb-making materials linked to Jabbar in his rental property and home in Houston.