Grieving New Orleans gathers for prayer and healing after New Year’s attack

NEW ORLEANS — Kim Alexander sat in the middle of the half-filled sanctuary as music and prayer filled the room. As Bishop Lester Love spoke of healing and hope from the pulpit, Alexander seemed unconvinced the city would be any safer after a car rampage killed 14 New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street.

“There are too many unguarded areas in the French Quarter, there are too many unguarded areas in the city,” the 60-year-old New Orleans resident told NBC News after the service. She said she thinks more officers will need to be hired.

She was not alone in her concerns. Hundreds of New Orleanians gathered Saturday morning at City of Love Church to seek solace and understanding in the wake of the attack. With hands raised and tears streaming down their faces, participants sang, shouted and prayed – not just for the victims, but for the perpetrator, the city and a safer future.

The attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. Army veteran from Texas, drove a rented truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Eve. Authorities said he had posted videos online during his trip to New Orleans in which he professed his support for ISIS. After walking through the crowd, Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police.

The mood during the morning prayer oscillated between sorrow and determination. Police officers stood with grieving members of the New Orleans community.

“Even though we’re going through this, things are going to get better,” Love told the congregation. “The city is suffering, but it is also resilient. »

As the city prepares for next month’s Super Bowl and Mardi Gras in March, law enforcement and local officials are committed to increased security measures.

After the prayer service, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said the city would remain vigilant to ensure the safety of residents and tourists in the coming months, but she could not rule out another massacre.

“Any day, anyone can do something,” Hutson said, adding that law enforcement will be well prepared to respond. “If someone wants to do something, they’re going to figure out how.”

Still, the tragedy leaves some wondering whether New Orleans is ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors in the coming months. In addition to the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival takes place in April and the annual event attracts about 400,000 people each year, according to its website.

Some rely on faith to persevere. “I have faith that God orders my steps,” said Tishawn Francis, 45, a participant in the service.

Will Holmes, 44, is optimistic, he said, that New Orleans is equipped to handle these events.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who attended the service, reiterated her commitment to supporting the victims and their families. In addition to the 14 people killed, dozens were injured, many of whom remain in area hospitals.

Former Police Commissioner Michael Harrison praised the rapid response of law enforcement, stressing that the tragedy could have been even worse.

Harrison said the attacker could have used his gun instead of the truck because “he was going to kill no matter what.”