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President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attended a memorial service for the victims of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack in New Orleans on Monday, paying their respects to the 14 victims who died.
The event was an interfaith prayer service held at the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, King of France, in the French Quarter. The church is less than a mile from the scene of the attack on New Year’s Day, when terrorist Shamsuddin Jabar drove his pickup truck into a crowd of celebrants.
Biden gave a short speech near the end of the service, expressing sympathy for the victims and their families.
“The shock and pain is still fresh,” said Biden, who leaves office in just two weeks. “My wife Jill and I stand with you, grieve with you and pray with you. [and] Let us know that you are not alone; other nations are watching you too. ”
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U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and First Lady Jill Biden (second from left), along with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (second from left) and his wife Sharon Landry (from left), Attend interfaith prayer services with families and community members affected by the pandemic. Jan. 6, 2025 – January 1 truck attack in New Orleans at the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, King of France, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Robert Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
The president also noted that he recently met with two police officers injured in the attack and praised first responders who saved lives during the chaos.
“New Orleans defines strength and resiliency,” Biden said. “You define it. Whether it’s in the form of this attack or a hurricane or a superstorm, the people of this city will be resilient. That’s the American spirit.”
The service comes less than a week after the terrorist attack that rocked the Big Easy. Jabbar died at the scene, bringing the total death toll to 15 and more than 30 injured as of January 6.
Many of the dead were in their 20s and had traveled to New Orleans from across the country, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York and New Jersey. The youngest victim who died was 18 years old and the oldest 63 years old.
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U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, along with Archbishop Gregory Aymond (R), held a religious ceremony with families and community members affected by the January 1 truck attack at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. Attended a prayer service that exceeded The King of France in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 6, 2025 (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
The incident remains under investigation, and federal and local authorities continue to collect evidence regarding the terrorist attack. On Sunday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced that its national response team had completed an investigation into Jabbar’s Airbnb in New Orleans.
Jabbar, who had rented a house on Mandeville Street and left it several hours before launching the attack, set the rented house on fire to destroy evidence, but the fire eventually smoldered by the time authorities arrived. Ta. The accelerant Jabbar strategically placed did not ignite, allowing authorities to collect evidence.
Authorities also found traces of the explosive RDX (cyclotrimethylene trinitramine) at the rental facility. The agency noted that Jabbar unwittingly foiled the plan by using an electric match to ignite the explosive, which would normally be triggered by a detonator.
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U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden lay flowers in honor of the victims of the January 1 truck attack at a makeshift memorial on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 6, 2025. Robert Schmidt/AFP, image via Getty)
“Jabbar used a suitable explosive for a detonator, but was unable to obtain one, so he used an electric match to ignite the explosive,” the ATF statement explained. “Jabbar’s inexperience and shoddy assembly of the device is why he used the wrong device to detonate the explosives.”
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to andrea.margolis@fox.com.
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