By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – A day after a terrorist used a truck to kill 14 people and injured more than 35 others on Bourbon Street, New Orleans pastors prayer walked the area, Jan. 2, before it reopened to the public. Among those Louisiana Baptist pastors and lay leaders participating were Page Brooks, senior pastor, Canal Street Church: A Mosaic Community, New Orleans; Larry Johnson, lay leader, Bridge Church, Madisonville; Ricky Murphy, associate pastor, Celebration Church, Metairie; Michael Raymond, Shiloh Christian Fellowship, New Orleans; and Dennis Waston, senior pastor, Celebration Church, Metairie. New Orleans Diocese Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, other pastors and law enforcement leaders also participated in the prayer walk, which took place at the request of Cantrell. The group also left yellow roses along the street in memory of the victims. A second line band followed the group and played hymns such as “I’ll fly away” and “Just a closer walk with thee.” “It was surreal to see Bourbon Street so clean and without people, which is totally atypical of how it usually is,” Watson said. “We prayed for the … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – City, state and federal officials, during a news conference Jan. 1, praised the response by law enforcement following a terrorist attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and promised a safe environment for the Sugar Bowl, which has been postponed to Jan. 2. “We are committed, no doubt, to uncovering all details surrounding this tragedy,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “And we’re taking every necessary step to put even more safety procedures in place, especially given the nature of the investigation.” Around 3:17 a.m. on Jan. 1, a man identified as U.S. born citizen 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, drove a white Ford F-150 Lightning EV truck around a police blockade and slammed into revelers before being shot dead by police. Authorities said at least 15 people, two from Louisiana, have now died including 28-year old Lafayette native Tiger Bech, 37-year-old Reggie Hunter, a father of two, and 30 sustained injuries. Multiple individuals were reportedly struck before the vehicle crashed. Once the vehicle stopped, the suspect reportedly opened fire on responding officers, who then returned fire. Two officers sustained injuries and were transported via emergency medical … [Read more...]

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS (LBM) – Hours after an individual intentionally drove his truck down Bourbon Street and killed at least 10 people and injured 35 on New Year’s Day morning, Louisiana Baptist leaders expressed sympathy and asked for prayers for those impacted by what the FBI is investigating as a terrorist attack. According to a New Orleans Police Department news release, at around 3:17 a.m., multiple law enforcement officers responded to a report of a vehicle having driven into a crowd of pedestrians on Bourbon Street after exiting Canal Street. Multiple individuals were reportedly struck before the vehicle crashed. Once the vehicle stopped, the suspect reportedly opened fire on responding officers, who then returned fire. Two officers sustained injuries and were transported via emergency medical services to a local hospital and were last listed in stable condition, while the suspect died. A news release from the FBI said the suspect has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas. He was driving a Ford pickup truck, which the FBI said that it appears to have been rented. The FBI said an ISIS flag was located in the vehicle, and they are working to determine the subject's … [Read more...]