NEW ORLEANS TRUCK ATTACK WITNESS: ‘THERE’S NAMES AND FACES WITH THESE VICTIMS NOW, THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE FULL OF LIFE — JUST GONE’
Jimmy Cothran, a witness to the New Orleans attack on New Year’s, recounted his experience of the event and detailed what has been the “hardest” to grapple with post-tragedy. The attack on Bourbon Street early Wednesday left at least 14 dead and dozens injured, according to the FBI. The agency identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas and Army veteran who was inspired by the Islamic State.
Cothran recounted seeing the bodies of multiple victims, including Nicole Perez, a 27-year-old mother to a 4-year-old boy, and Nikyra Dedeaux, an 18-year-old who was killed by the high-speed truck. He described the pain and suffering he saw in the victims’ final moments and criticized the lack of barriers in the city, arguing that the truck would have never reached that speed if barriers had been replaced.
Barriers from 2017 were reportedly removed in November as part of a larger security infrastructure project and are in the process of being replaced with new bollards by the city. Cothran expressed his grief for the victims and shared a message for the community recovering from the horrific incident. “People take so much for granted as far as how we treat each other,” he said. “I mean, when you have things this heinous and this evil, you can’t let the small things dictate a minute of your life when that life might not be there tomorrow or later this evening.”