(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden plans to visit with families of the victims of the the recent New Year’s Day terror attacks that left the nation in collective somberness.
In one of Karine Jean-Pierre’s last briefings as White House press secretary, she emphasized the administration’s commitment to deploying every available resource to investigate the attack, which is being treated as an act of terrorism.
“Our hearts go out to the families who lost their loved ones on a day that should have been a celebrated day to such an act of violence,” said Jean-Pierre at the news conference.
The White House confirmed that the president would travel to Louisiana to mourn with the families in the coming days.
Jean-Pierre said that the president has stayed in close contact with the agencies, and had reached out to the families affected by the attack, and referred questions to law enforcement.
Jean-Pierre reiterated that the security and safety of oncoming events are paramount and that the administration will continue to “protect American communities and communities around the country.”
The press secretary noted that the Federal Bureau of Investigation addressed security concerns regarding the warning of copycat attacks and referred further questions to law enforcement.
The FBI has stated that the New Orleans attacker acted alone in what they called an “act of terrorism.”
The press secretary highlighted the importance of unity and resilience in the face of these tragedies and referred questions about possible radicalization in the military to the Department of Defense. Both attacks were carried out by people who served in the military.
The attack in Louisiana was done by a 42-year-old Texas man and Army veteran, identified by authorities as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, who drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, leaving 15 dead and 35 injured.
In Las Vegas, law enforcement officials confirmed that 37-year-old active-duty Army member Matthew Livelsberger was behind the rented Cybertruck explosion at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the explosion.
Jean-Pierre referred questions about possible radicalization in the military to the Department of Defense.