New Orleans grieves as Bourbon Street reopens after truck attack | In photo news

Crowds have returned to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, as the city recovers from the deadly New Year’s Day attack that left 14 dead and 35 injured.

On Friday, visitors paid their respects at a sidewalk memorial on Bourbon Street, near where the suspect drove his rental pickup truck into a crowd of late-night revelers.

Officials said the driver, 42-year-old former US military man Shams al-Din Jabbar, was inspired by the ISIS militant group. Jabbar was shot dead in a shootout with police after he crashed his truck.

A law enforcement bulletin published Friday warned that federal agencies are “concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks” in the wake of the hit-and-run accident that is being treated as an act of terrorism.

Many victims of the attack have since been identified in US media. They include Karim Badawi, a freshman from the University of Alabama; Nikira Dido, an aspiring nurse; Reggie Hunter, father of two; and Nicole Perez, a single mother of a four-year-old.

By early Thursday morning, authorities had cleared the crime scene and recovered the bodies of the victims. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said street cleaning began at 2 a.m. that same day and ended six hours later.

Bourbon Street reopened for business that afternoon. Bourbon Street is one of the main pedestrian streets in the historic French Quarter, known for its music, al fresco drinking, and lively atmosphere.

Street performers, tourists and traditional brass bands returned to the streets by Friday, trying to resume normal life.

Jonas Green, a trombonist and lifelong New Orleans resident, said it was important for his band to perform after the violence.

“I know this music heals. It turns the feelings we’re going through into something better,” Green said. “You have to keep going.”

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also called on the city to show its resilience in the wake of bloodshed and heartbreak.

“We care about every life lost in this city,” Landry said Thursday. “But it would be a tragedy if we allowed them to take their toll on fear. This city will come back and be open to family, friends and loved ones who want some time to unwind from the stresses of life.”