Edward Pettifer, 31, has been named as the British victim in the New Orleans terror attack, it has now been confirmed. His family have now paid tribute to their ‘wonderful son’
A British man has now been named as one of the victims in the New Orleans terror attack that brutally claimed the lives of 14.
Edward Pettifer, 31, from Chelsea in West London, was killed when a vehicle ploughed into a crowd on Bourbon Street, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. His grieving relatives have now paid tribute to their “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to many.”
The statement from his devastated family continued: “We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack.
“We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private.”
The family of Edward are being supported through this difficult time. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in New Orleans and are in contact with local authorities”, Sky News reports.
People were celebrating the new year when chaos ensued as Shamsud-Din Jabbar,42, who was an US army veteran, ploughed a rented SUV into a crowd on the famed Bourbon Street. He was killed by police gunfire following what they reported as a “very intentional” deed.
This heinous act has been dubbed as “premeditated” and “evil” by the FBI and claims that Jabbar was “100% inspired by ISIS”. Dozens of people have been left injured and at least 14 have died.
One eyewitness account states Jabbar seemed “hell-bent on creating the carnage and damage that he did”, reports the Mirror.
On Wednesday (1 January), further developments arose; with Assistant special agent Alethea Duncan from the FBI disclosing doubts about Jabbar working alone in this horror, stating: “We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.”
“That’s why we need the public’s help. We are asking if anybody has any interactions with Shamsud-Din Jabbar in the last 72 hours that you contact us. The FBI is asking the public’s help. We’re asking anyone who has information.”
The authorities also revealed that Jabbar had attempted to torch a house he was renting by scattering accelerants around the property in a bid to obliterate evidence – but the fire extinguished itself before it could spread to other areas, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms.
Police discovered bomb-making gear at the New Orleans residence – and at Jabbar’s Houston, Texas home – along with what appeared to be a rifle suppressor in the New Orleans abode. An Islamic State group emblem was also spotted on his car’s trailer hitch.
Moreover, investigators unearthed firearms and pipe bombs hidden inside coolers, as stated in a Louisiana State Police intelligence report seen by The Associated Press. Both contraptions were rigged for remote activation, and a matching remote was found in the suspect’s vehicle, the report disclosed.