Crowds have returned to Bourbon Street in New Orleans as the city recovers from a deadly New Year’s Eve attack that left 14 dead and 35 others injured.
On Friday, visitors paid their respects at a sidewalk memorial on Bourbon Street, near where a suspect drove his rental truck into a crowd late at night.
Officials said the driver, US military veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was inspired by the militant group ISIL (ISIS). Jabbar was shot dead in a shootout with police after crashing his truck.
A law enforcement bulletin issued Friday warned that federal agencies “are concerned about possible copycat or revenge attacks” after the car crash, which is being treated as an act of terrorism.
Several victims of the attack have since been identified in the US media. They include Kareem Badawi, a freshman from the University of Alabama; Nikyra Dedeaux, an aspiring nurse; Reggie Hunter, father of two; and Nicole Perez, a single mother of a four-year-old son.
By early Thursday morning, authorities had cleared the crime scene and removed the victims’ bodies. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said street cleaning began at 2 a.m. the same day and ended six hours later.
Bourbon Street reopened for business that afternoon. One of the main pedestrian streets in the historic French Quarter, Bourbon Street is known for its music, alfresco drinking and lively atmosphere.
Street performers, tourists and traditional “second line” brass bands were back on the streets by Friday in an attempt to resume normality.
Trombone player and lifelong New Orleans resident Jonas Green said it was important for his band to perform after the violence.
“I know with this music, it heals. It transforms the feelings we’re going through into something better,” Green said. “I have to move on.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also called on the city to show its resilience after the bloodshed and heartbreak.
“We care about every one of the lives that were lost in this city,” Landry said Thursday. “But it would be a tragedy if we allowed their losses to die out of fear. This city will be back, it will be open to family, friends and loved ones who want some time to relax from the pressures of life.”
