British man from Chelsea, Edward Pettifer, among 14 killed in New Orleans truck attack
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Met police say they are supporting 31-year-old’s family, who described him as a ‘wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many’. A British man was among 14 people killed in a New Year’s Day vehicle attack in New Orleans, it has been confirmed.
The Metropolitan police said they were supporting the family of Edward Pettifer, 31, of Chelsea, who was killed in the attack in Bourbon Street. His family said he was a “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many”. The New Orleans coroner gave Pettifer’s preliminary cause of death as “blunt force injuries”.
Fourteen people died and at least 35 others were injured when the suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, allegedly ploughed a pick-up truck through crowds of New Year’s revellers. The 42-year-old Texan allegedly got out of the vehicle and fired a gun before being shot by police.
Pettifer’s family said in a statement: “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. “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.”. The Met police said family liaison officers were supporting Pettifer’s family and helping them 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.
