President Joe Biden on Monday met with the families of the victims, attended a prayer service and stopped at a makeshift memorial in New Orleans to honor those who lost their lives in the deadly New Year's Day attack in the city's historic district. .
Mr. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden made their first stop at a memorial on Bourbon Street, where an Army veteran drove a truck into a crowd, killing 14 people and injuring 30 others.
Flowers, messages and crosses were placed on the pavement to honor the victims. The couple then headed to St. Louis nearby. The president and first lady met privately with families of those who lost their lives, survivors and local law enforcement.
Afterwards, they attended an interfaith service.
Mr. Biden has made dozens of visits to areas that have been hit by violence, natural and other disasters during his four years in office. He has just two weeks left in office, so Monday's visit to New Orleans could be his last.
It's a solemn duty for presidents, though not every leader has embraced such a role as passionately as the 82-year-old Biden, who has experienced many personal tragedies in his life.
His first wife and young daughter died in a car accident in the early 1970s, and his eldest son, Beau, died of cancer in 2015.
"I have experienced such a thing. You can't say anything to someone who has had such a tragic loss," Mr. Biden told reporters on Sunday.
Mr. Biden often speaks privately in such cases with families, doesn't hesitate to give his personal phone number in case people want to talk afterward, and talks about the pain openly and personally.
Footage from security cameras captured the moments when 42-year-old US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove his truck into crowds early on New Year's Day in New Orleans.
A black Islamic State flag was found on his truck, prompting the FBI to investigate the incident as an act of terrorism.
US President Joe Biden says federal law enforcement agencies are investigating all possible links to the attacker.
"Federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies are actively investigating any foreign or domestic contacts of the attacker that may be relevant to the circumstances surrounding the attack. We will relentlessly continue the fight against ISIS and other terrorist organizations wherever they are. They will find no safe haven here," said President Biden.
Fourteen people were killed in the New Year's Eve attack in New Orleans and dozens more were injured. The perpetrator of the attack, army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, died after an exchange of fire with the police.
The FBI says Shamsud-Din Jabbar had hidden improvised explosive devices on several streets, including an intersection where there is usually a lot of traffic.
The Department of Homeland Security says this is another case of violent extremism in the country.
"We are facing difficult types of threats and that is why we as a community, not only the federal government, but state and local officials and residents, must be alert to them and take the necessary measures to avoid acts of violence." said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Later, on New Year's Day, and more than two thousand kilometers away in Nevada, US Army Special Forces member Matthew Livelsberger blew up a rental Tesla truck near the hotel. Trump International” in Las Vegas.
The Clark County Coroner confirmed that Livelsberger, a decorated soldier who officials say was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, killed himself shortly before the truck exploded. Officials say no one else was seriously injured.
Law enforcement says they have so far found no connection between the attacks. VOA (A2 Televizion)
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