A British citizen was among at least 14 people tragically killed in a vehicle attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, confirmed the Foreign Office.
The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Edward Pettifer from Chelsea, London.
His family expressed their grief, describing him as a “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend to many.”
The Metropolitan Police named Pettifer, while the New Orleans coroner reported that his cause of death was “blunt force injuries.”
The attack occurred when a man drove a pick-up truck through crowds on Bourbon Street, a well-known area in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Police intervened, shooting the suspect dead after he exited the vehicle and fired a weapon.
The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office confirmed they were providing support to Pettifer’s family during this difficult time.
His family issued a statement expressing their devastation over his death and also extended their condolences to the other families affected by the attack.
“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their loved ones in this horrific attack,” they said, requesting privacy to grieve.
The victims included a prominent American college football player, a young aspiring nurse, and a mother of a four-year-old child, whose families had released their names ahead of official post-mortem examinations.
The suspect has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a Texas resident and US Army veteran.
Authorities believe he acted alone in what the FBI has called a “premeditated and evil act.”
The FBI also confirmed that an Islamic State flag was discovered in the suspect’s vehicle, and two improvised explosive devices were found nearby.
The attack injured at least 39 people, with more than a dozen still receiving treatment, some in the intensive care unit.
Many others have already been discharged from the hospital.
Bourbon Street was reopened the following morning ahead of the Sugar Bowl, a major college football event, where thousands of spectators were expected.
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