Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans says the Church’s prayer are going out for the victims of a terrorist attack in his city in Louisiana.

A suspect named Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pick-up truck around barriers and went through a crowd of people celebrating the New Year early on Wednesday.

The attack occurred around 3.15 am on the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets in the  French Quarter, an area popular with tourists.

At least 10 people were killed, and police found an Islamic State (ISIS) flag in the attacker’s vehicle.

“Our prayers go out to those killed and injured in this morning’s horrific attack on Bourbon Street,” Aymond said in a statement.

“This violent act is a sign of utter disrespect for human life. I join with others in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans in offering prayerful support to the victims’ families. I give thanks for the heroic duty of hundreds of law enforcement and medical personnel in the face of such evil,” the archbishop said.

Jabbar was killed in a police shootout after the attack. Two police officers were injured in the exchange.

“He was trying to run over as many people as he could. He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and damage that he did,” Anne Kirkpatrick, the New Orleans police chief, told journalists.

The FBI says Jabbar was probably not “solely responsible” and urged anyone with images of him recorded over the last few days to get in touch with the federal agency. Investigators have reviewed video showing three men and a woman placing an improvised explosive device in connection with the attack.

President Joe Biden says he has been “continually briefed” since the attack by federal law enforcement leadership and his homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans “regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight.”

“The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism,” he said.

“I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury. I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind,” Biden continued.

The president said he will continue to receive updates about the attack, and will have more to say as we further information comes out.

“In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities,” Biden said.

University of Notre Dame president Father Robert Dowd – whose college football team was scheduled to play in New Orleans on Jan. 1 – said the members of the university would participate in a Mass for the victims, after announcing the game would be delayed due to the terrorist attack.

“We deeply regret any disappointment this change in plans causes and appreciate your understanding given these terrible events,” he said on X.

A mass casualty event was declared in New Orleans, Louisiana, after a car-ramming and shooting attack, occuring a few hours after New Year’s Eve celebrations early Wednesday.

US media reports said at least one person had been killed, with many more wounded as the driver targeted New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street. The assailant allegedly exited his vehicle and began firing, with law enforcement returning fire.

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) — For 67 public school districts in Louisiana, the new law that requires them to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms goes into effect Wednesday (Jan. 1), despite a federal judge issuing an injunction on behalf of plaintiffs who sued from five other school boards to block the measure.

The American Civil Liberties Union threatens to sue any school district that follows through with the law, sending mixed signals for educators going into the new year.

The ACLU joined other free speech and religious freedom groups in a lawsuit against the state after Gov. Jeff Landry signed HB 71 into law over the summer. The law requires public K-12 and state-funded university classrooms to display a poster-sized, state-approved version of the Ten Commandments with “large, easily readable font.”

Federal judge John W. DeGravelles ruled the plaintiffs have adequately demonstrated the likely unconstitutionality of the law and that it would lead to unconstitutional religious coercion of students. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals then ruled that the injunction only applies to the school boards named in the lawsuit: East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Orleans, St. Tammany and Vernon.

“If you are not part of the lawsuit, you are not under the judge’s order,” said Andrew Perry, staff attorney for the ACLU of Louisiana.

Before schools let out for winter break, the ACLU of Louisiana sent a letter to all superintendents for school boards not in the lawsuit, warning them of the federal judge’s ruling and that if any other district displays the Ten Commandments, it also would be sued.

“Compliance with the law would be engaging in unconstitutional conduct and we urge them not to post the Ten Commandments,” Perry said.

The letter said in part: “Even though your district is not a party to the ongoing lawsuit, and therefore is not technically subject to the district court’s injunction, all school districts have an independent obligation to respect students’ and families’ constitutional rights. Because the U.S. Constitution supersedes state law, public school officials may not comply with H.B. 71.”

In response, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sent out her own statement, saying she will support any school district that hangs up the Ten Commandments in 2025. She said guidelines will be offered to show districts how they can abide by the new law, and how citizens can print and donate posters that meet the state guidelines. Murrill’s office did not say when those guidelines will be available.

Her statement reads: “HB 71 requires Louisiana classrooms to reflect certain displays of the Ten Commandments as students return from winter break. This week, I will publish guidance to schools on how to comply — in a constitutionally sound manner — with HB 71, including specific displays that citizens may print and donate to their schools.

“I have received inquiries regarding whether a federal court injunction against five school boards (Livingston, St. Tammany, Vernon, East Baton Rouge, and Orleans) prevents other schools from complying with HB 71. It does not. The injunction does not bind schools who are not parties to that litigation, which is ongoing in the Fifth Circuit. Accordingly, I look forward to working with the remainder of our schools as they come into compliance with HB 71.”

Meanwhile, Murrill and the state face another lawsuit tied to HB 71 that was filed by New Orleans history teacher Chris Dier. He says he recently brought up his lawsuit to his high school class before the semester exams.

“I remember asking how many know that I am currently suing the state, and all but one raised their hand. And then the questions started flowing,” Dier said.

Dier says he wanted to file his own lawsuit to emphasize constitutional protections for educators and students in the classroom.

“This would inevitably alienate Catholics, non-Christians, Muslims, Jewish students, Hindu students, atheist students,” Dier said. “Students want to feel seen. They want to be heard and valued.”

While the legal battles play out, Dier says he wants to spend time in the new year educating his class on the impact of the Ten Commandments law in Louisiana and the rest of the country.

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