King Charles Heartbroken Over Death of British Man in New Orleans Attack – Victim Reportedly the Stepson of Former Royal Nanny | UK News
The King is profoundly grieved by the passing of a British citizen—reportedly the stepson of a former royal nanny—who lost his life during the incident in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
Edward Pettifer, 31, from Chelsea, west London, suffered fatal injuries in the unfortunate event, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police.
Mr. Pettifer’s stepmother, Alexandra Legge-Bourke, affectionately known as Tiggy, was once a nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry.
Sky News has learned that the King was notified of Mr. Pettifer’s demise through official channels, expressed his deep sorrow, and reached out to the family to extend his personal condolences.
Mr. Pettifer’s father, Charles, a former British Army officer, married Ms. Legge-Bourke in 1999, shortly after she concluded her duties as nanny to William and Harry.
The family maintained close ties with the British royal family, and Mr. Pettifer’s stepbrother, Tom, also Ms. Legge-Bourke’s son, served as a page at the Prince of Wales’ wedding in 2011.
The Pettifer family expressed that they were “devastated” by his passing.
“He was a remarkable son, brother, grandson, nephew, and a friend to countless individuals,” the family stated.
“We will profoundly miss him. Our heartfelt thoughts are with the families of other victims affected by this dreadful attack. We ask for privacy as we grieve Ed’s loss as a family.”
The preliminary report from New Orleans’ coroner indicated that Mr. Pettifer’s cause of death resulted from blunt force injuries.
Emergency crews at the scene of the attack. Pic: AP
FBI agents at the scene. Pic: Reuters
Fourteen individuals lost their lives and several more were injured when 42-year-old army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s rented truck collided with pedestrians on Bourbon Street in New Orleans during the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Jabbar was ultimately killed in a confrontation with police.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) described the attack as “premeditated” and labeled it an “evil” act of terrorism, asserting that Jabbar was “100% inspired by ISIS“, also known as the Islamic State.
An IS flag was attached to the pick-up truck that was driven down Bourbon Street
The initial cause of death for all the victims has been ruled as blunt force injuries, according to the coroner of New Orleans.
The coroner has publicly identified most of the victims, with ongoing efforts to identify the last female casualty.
• Edward Pettifer, 31, from Chelsea, west London
• Andrew Dauphin, 26, from Montgomery, Alabama
• Kareem Badawi, 23, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Brandon Taylor, 43, from Harvey, Louisiana
• Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, from Gretna, Louisiana
• Matthew Tenedorio, 25, from Picayune, Mississippi
• Ni’Kyra Dedeaux, 18, from Gulfport, Mississippi
• Nicole Perez, 27, from Metairie, Louisiana
• Reggie Hunter, 37, from Prairieville, Louisiana
• Martin Bech, 27, from New York City, New York
• Terrence Kennedy, 63, from New Orleans, Louisiana
• Elliot Wilkinson, 40, from Slidell, Louisiana
• William DiMaio, 25, from Holmdel, New Jersey
Some of the victims of the New Orleans attack, clockwise from top left: Reggie Hunter, Martin ‘Tiger’ Bech, Nicole Perez and Matthew Tenedorio
William DiMaio (left) and Terrence Kennedy
Read more:
What we know about the suspect
Did New Orleans authorities fail the victims?
The FBI reported the discovery of an Islamic State (IS) flag, weapons, and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the attacker’s vehicle.
The suspect had shared five videos on social media prior to the incident, endorsing IS, the agency noted.
In his first video, Jabbar expressed intentions to harm his family and friends but was worried that the headlines wouldn’t address the “war between believers and non-believers,” reported Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division.
Jabbar had allegedly affiliated himself with IS “before this summer” and left behind a will, according to the FBI chief.
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In an interview with a Texas TV station affiliated with Sky News’ partner network NBC News, Jabbar’s younger half-brother shared his thoughts on the attack’s victims.
Abdur-Rahim Jabbar stated, “This is a tragedy. We’re all in mourning about this.”
The suspect identified as a Muslim, with his sibling emphasizing: “This wasn’t the man I knew. This isn’t the father or son I recognized.
“Also, this does not represent Islam or Muslims or the Muslim community in any way.”
