Prince William reacted to the death of a London man, Edward Pettifer, who was killed in the New Orleans, Louisiana, attack on New Year’s Day.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Saturday afternoon for comment on the victims of the attack.
Why It Matters
The royal family had a personal connection to Pettifer, the 31-year-old stepson of William and Prince Harry‘s former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke, also known as Alexandra Pettifer. Legge-Bourke was the princes’ nanny from 1993 to 1999, meaning she worked for the royal family after Princess Diana, William and Harry’s mother, died in a tragic 1997 car accident.
Pettifer is the final victim of the horrific Bourbon Street attack to be identified. London’s Metropolitan Police, meanwhile, is helping Pettifer’s family through the process of repatriating his body to the United Kingdom.
What To Know
Prince William wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Saturday that he and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, “have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.”
What Else Has the Royal Family Said?
The British media previously reported that King Charles was “deeply saddened” by Pettifer’s death and has sent condolences to his family.
What Has Edward Pettifer’s Family Said?
Pettifer’s family said in a statement shared by London’s Metropolitan Police on Saturday, “The entire family are devastated at the tragic news of Ed’s death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.”
They added: “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. Thank you.”
Details About the New Orleans Attack
At around 4:15 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas, rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter in what is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
Fourteen people were killed and some 30 more were injured.
The truck eventually stopped, and Jabbar opened fire on responding police officers, injuring two before being killed in a shootout with law enforcement.
An ISIS flag, weapons and multiple IED bombs were found in the suspect’s rented truck. Jabbar’s potential ties with terror organizations are currently being investigated. The FBI, however, believes Jabbar acted alone in the attack.
What People Are Saying
President Joe Biden said at a Wednesday press conference about the New Orleans attack: “I grieve with you.”
“Our nation grieves with you. We’re going to stand with you as you mourn and as you heal in the weeks to come,” he said.
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday: “When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true.”
He added: “Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”
What Happens Next
The White House announced Friday that Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit New Orleans on Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”
Meanwhile, the investigation into the attack remains ongoing.
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