The stepson of Prince William and Prince Harry’s former nanny has been confirmed among those killed in the ramming attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
Edward Pettifer and 13 others died after Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar sped into a crowd in the city’s Bourbon Street in the early hours of January 1 as revellers celebrated.
London's Metropolitan Police confirmed they were supporting the family of the 31-year-old. His father Charles Pettifer, 59, is married to Tiggy Legge-Bourke, 59, who worked as a nanny to the princes from 1993 until 1999. The couple live in Wales, but the 31-year-old reportedly stayed with his mother in Chelsea, London.
Prince William said he was “shocked and saddened” by Mr Pettifer’s death. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack. W,” he wrote on the Prince and Princess of Wales's X account, signing off with his initial.
King Charles is also said to be “deeply saddened” by the death and has been in touch with Mr Pettifer's family to share his condolences.
“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,” said Mr Pettifer’s family in a statement. “We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack.”
The New Orleans coroner gave Mr Pettifer's preliminary cause of death as “blunt force injuries”. The Met Police said family liaison officers are helping Mr Pettifer's family through the process of returning his body to the UK.
The Foreign Office also said it was supporting the victim's family and was in contact with US authorities. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a press conference the victims and their families “matter” to the entire city. “Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to the victim's families,” she said.
Driver ploughs into New Year's crowd in New Orleans – in pictures
The attack took place in the city's French Quarter at around 3.15am local time on New Year's Day. The New Orleans coroner said one of those killed remains unidentified with the others coming from the US, the youngest aged 18 and the oldest 63. It is believed the suspect acted alone.
The FBI said an ISIS flag was found inside the vehicle and explosive devices were found nearby. The agency said Jabbar had posted five videos on his Facebook account in the hours before the attack, in which he aligned himself with ISIS and said he had joined the militant group last summer.
Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden said the attacker posted a video which indicated he was inspired by the group. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said consular officials in the US would be on hand to help any British nationals affected.
Jabbar, 42, was fatally shot in a firefight with police at the scene of the deadly crash in New Orleans' historic French Quarter. Authorities found crude bombs that had been planted in the neighbourhood. Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were made safe at the scene, officials said. Other devices were determined to be non-functional.
Investigators recovered a transmitter intended to trigger the two bombs from Jabbar's rental vehicle, the FBI said in a statement on Friday. It also said authorities found bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home he rented before the attack. Jabbar tried to burn the house down by setting a small fire in a hallway and placing accelerants to help spread it, the FBI said. The flames burnt out before firefighters arrived.
Authorities on Friday were still investigating Jabbar's motives and how he carried out the attack. They say he exited the crashed pick-up truck wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before he was fatally shot by officers returning fire.
