New Zealand tourists witness terror attack in French Quarter

Tourists from New Zealand describe eerie terrorist attack similarities one day before French Quarter attack

GUYS, HOW ABOUT IT? YEAH, AND GINA, AS EARLIER WE WERE TELLING YOU HOW WE SEE SO MANY TOURISTS AND VISITORS OUT HERE DESPITE WHAT HAPPENED. AND SO WE RAN INTO SOME FRIENDS HERE. IT’S NIKKI, HALEY AND TINA FROM NEW ZEALAND, AND THEY WERE HERE YESTERDAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. SO THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THEY’RE FEELING. BUT ALSO, NIKKI, YOU WERE SAYING A SIMILAR SITUATION HAPPENED IN NEW ZEALAND NOT TOO LONG AGO. YEAH. JUST YESTERDAY MORNING AN UNKNOWN PERSON DELIBERATELY RAN INTO TWO POLICE OFFICERS. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF FEMALE DIED, THE OTHER MALE IS IN HOSPITAL. SO SEEING THIS HAPPEN HERE TODAY WAS QUITE EERIE AND REALLY, REALLY SAD. AND I FEEL SORRY FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS HERE THAT HAVE TO CARRY ON WORKING, KNOWING TWO OF THEIR OFFICERS HAVE BEEN KILLED AS WELL. YEAH, IT’S A BIT EERIE AND SCARY. THOSE TWO OFFICERS I BELIEVE ARE RECOVERING. SO FORTUNATELY I THINK THAT THEY’RE GOING TO I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO BE OKAY. BUT YOU’RE ALSO A MEMBER OF NEW ZEALAND POLICE AS WELL. SO THIS REALLY HITS CLOSE TO HOME FOR YOU. YEAH IT DOES. YEAH. AND SORT OF BEING AWAY FROM HOME WHAT’S HAPPENED THERE. AND THEN WAKING UP TO THIS TODAY IS YEAH YEAH YEAH. REALLY SAD. YEAH. BECAUSE YOU GO HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD TO AVOID SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT YOU CAN’T AVOID IT. AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S EVERYWHERE. YOU JUST CAN’T AVOID EVIL AND TERRORISM. BUT TINA, TELL ME, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS WERE HERE YESTERDAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NOT EXACTLY AT THE SCENE, BUT IN THE FRENCH QUARTER AREA, YOU KNOW, AND YOU WERE PLANNING TO GO TO THE SUGAR BOWL TONIGHT. SO TOMORROW IT’S POSTPONED TO TOMORROW. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT POSSIBLY GOING TOMORROW? YOU HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT THAT? WELL, WE’RE NOT SURE. I MEAN, WE’D LOVE TO GO BECAUSE WE. THAT’S WHY WE CAME TO NEW ORLEANS TO EXPERIENCE NEW ORLEANS AND TO EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THERE TO DO IN NEW ORLEANS AS A TOURIST. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REALLY BIG TOURIST THINGS WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING. BUT THE MORE WE TALK TO PEOPLE, WE’RE NOT SURE. BUT WE WE HAVEN’T DECIDED YET. IT IS REALLY HARD TO DECIDE. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT YOU ALSO SAID WAS THAT YOU SPOKE TO SOME OFFICERS, BOTH LAST NIGHT AND TODAY, AND THEY EVEN TOLD YOU THAT IF THEY WERE YOU RIGHT NOW, THEY WOULDN’T BE WALKING AROUND THIS PORTION OF DOWNTOWN AND THE FRENCH QUARTER OF NEW ORLEANS. THAT WAS CORRECT. ONE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS JUST DOWN ONE OF THE STREETS WHERE WE’VE JUST WALKED UP, HE SAID, IF I WAS YOU, I WOULDN’T BE WALKING AROUND HERE. YEAH. WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? QUITE NERVY, BECAUSE WE WOULD THINK WITH ALL OF THE POLICE PRESENCE AND THE HOW, IT’S ALL, LIKE TAPED OFF, THAT WE WOULD BE SAFE WALKING ON THIS SIDE. BUT IT DOES MAKE YOU THINK. YEAH. AND IT DOES MAKE US RETHINK EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO EXPERIENCE WHILE WE WERE HERE FOR OUR FOUR DAYS. WELL, WE WANTED TO. WELL, THAT’S WHY I STOPPED YOU AND SAID, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WE LOVE TOURISTS. WE LOVE YOU. VISITORS COMING TO NEW ORLEANS, WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT NEW ORLEANS BEFORE YOU CAME HERE, AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS NOW? WE’RE EXCITED TO COME. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE’S CERTAIN AREAS NOT TO GO, AND WE STAYED WHERE WE WERE TOLD TO BE SAFE. BOURBON STREET, AND SOMEONE TOLD YOU BOURBON STREET WOULD BE SAFE. OKAY. YEAH. RANDI TOLD YOU MAGAZINE. SO YOUR NEXT STOP IS MAGAZINE. SO YEAH, WE’RE GOING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHERE WE’RE GOING TO GO OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND BE AWARE OF OUR SURROUNDINGS, WHICH I NORMALLY DO ANYWAY. BUT SOME THINGS ARE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL. WELL, THE GOVERNOR SAID TODAY DURING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE THAT IT WILL BE SAFER NOW. IT’S SAFER NOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE OFFICIALS AND INVESTIGATORS OUT HERE. DO YOU FEEL MUCH SAFER? AND IS THAT WHY IT CAUGHT YOU WALKING DOWN CANAL STREET? YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. I’VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY POLICE IN MY LIFE. SO, YEAH, I FEEL PRETTY SAFE NOW. AND YOU EVEN SAID THAT YOU WALKED INTO THE EIGHTH DISTRICT POLICE STATION OVER THERE JUST TO STOP IN AND JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM, YOU KNOW, YOUR CONDOLENCES AND JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVING YOUR WELL WISHES BECAUSE, AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY HARD. YOU KNOW, THEY THEY WITNESSED A LOT. AND PEOPLE WHO AND YOU KNOW THIS TOO AS A AS A POLICE OFFICER WHEN YOU HAVE TO PROCESS THESE SCENES IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT. AND THIS IS THIS IS NOT A GOOD SIGHT. THIS THIS CUTS YOU TO THE CORE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE PUNCTUATED WITH THEM FOR QUITE A WHILE. THIS WHEN WE WALKED IN AND THEY WERE ALL SORT OF SITTING AROUND WATCHING THE PRESS CONFERENCE, AND YOU CAN SEE THEY WERE VERY QUIET, SHOCKED AND NUMB. AND, YOU KNOW, I’VE EXPERIENCED THAT BACK HOME, YOU KNOW, WHEN THINGS HAVE HAPPENED TO OUR OFFICERS. AND YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO PASS MY CONDOLENCES AND. YEAH, AND ANOTHER THING IS WE’VE HAD A LOT OF MESSAGES FROM HOME BECAUSE IT IS WORLD. SORRY. WORLDWIDE. AND SO EVERYONE’S LIKE, ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU OKAY? BECAUSE THEY JUST SORT OF SEE NEW ORLEANS, YOU KNOW, TERRORIST. AND EVERYONE JUST THINKS IT’S THE WORST. SO IT’S REALLY SAD. LIKE NICKY’S ELDERLY MUM, SHE RANG HER STRAIGHT AWAY JUST TO LET HER KNOW WE WERE OKAY. SO IT DOES REALLY AFFECT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN A LOT OF WAYS. WELL, THEY’VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT. I KNOW WE HAD ONE MISSING BRITISH NATIONAL, WHO WAS HERE EARLIER THIS MORNING, AND THEY WERE STILL TRYING TO FIND HIM. PEOPLE WERE LIKE CHECKING THE PINGS ON THEIR LOVED ONES PHONES TO SEE WHEN THEY WERE LAST DETECTED. SO IT’S DEFINITELY STILL A VERY UNEASY SIGHT BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY FAMILIES THAT STILL HAVEN’T BEEN RECONNECTED YET. IT’S SO SAD. REALLY SAD. YEAH. ONE THING IS ON FACEBOOK, THEY HAVE PUT UP A WE ARE SAFE. WE ARE SAFE IN NEW ORLEANS. AND THAT’S QUITE A GOOD THING TO PUT UP SO EVERYBODY CAN CHECK THAT. A LOT OF PEOPLE APPRECIATED US PUTTING THAT UP, THAT WE WERE SAFE. YEAH, THAT WAS QUITE GOOD. AND THIS GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT AFFECTS TOURISM AND ECONOMY. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL AFFECT, YOU KNOW, TOURISM ALL ACROSS, NOT ONLY IN NEW ORLEANS, BUT BECAUSE OF EVENTS LIKE THIS AND EVIL AND SHEER TERROR. HOW DO YOU THINK IT AFFECTS TOURISM ACROSS THE WORLD? AND IN THE NATION? I THINK INITIALLY IT WOULD BE TOUGH, BUT OVER TIME YOU SORT OF GET BACK TO YOUR NORMAL. BUT I THINK PEOPLE WILL BE A BIT MORE AWARE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY BEFORE, WE’VE GOT TO STAY STRONG AND STAY TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, CAN’T LET THESE PEOPLE WIN. WE HAVE TO HAVE TO KEEP GETTING ON WITH LIFE AND DOING THE BEST WE CAN. YEAH, YOU KIND OF SAY THAT. AND YOU’RE LOOKING AROUND HERE, YOU HEAR THE MUSIC PLAYING, YOU SEE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GOING IN AND OUT OF SHOPS. SO I THINK SOME NORMALCY OVER HERE. BUT AGAIN, SO MANY INVESTIGATORS STILL GOING UP AND DOWN BOURBON STREET RIGHT NOW JUST PIECING TOGETHER EVERY LITTLE THING TO THIS INVESTIGATION. THERE’S SO MANY DIFFERENT LAYERS, SO MANY DIFFERENT FACETS TO THIS. BETWEEN THE EXPLOSIVE DEVICES, BETWEEN THE TRUCK THAT WAS USED, BETWEEN THE OTHER LOCATION IN WHICH POLICE BELIEVE THAT HE COULD HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY PUTTING TOGETHER THESE EXPLOSIVE DEVICES, THAT HE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE USED TO MAKE THIS EVEN WORSE, THE INVESTIGATION WOULD BE MIND BLOWING. I MEAN TO SAY, IT’S ONLY GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS TO PROCESS. THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. SO THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT SORT OF INVESTIGATION. YEAH. CAN YOU UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU’RE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT THERE IN NEW ZEALAND. SO JUST LOOKING AT THIS, I MEAN, YOU THINK IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG TIME BEFORE ANYTHING IS SOLVED. THEY THINK THERE’S ANOTHER POSSIBLE SUSPECT OUT THERE AS WELL. YEAH. THAT’S A BIT SCARY. YEAH, IT’S A BIT SCARY. BUT YOU KNOW WE HAVE FAITH AND TRUST IN THE INVESTIGATORS. THEY DO A GREAT JOB I KNOW NEW ZEALAND. WE HAVE THE BEST PLUG FOR THEM. BUT YEAH YEAH THEY’RE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. YOU BEING HERE. WE KIND OF GAVE THEM SOME ADVICE. MAYBE GOING DOWN MAGAZINE STREET AND YOU KNOW EXPERIENCING SOME OF THAT. BUT AS THIS INVESTIGATION CONTINUES TO UNFOLD HERE ALONG THE FOOT OF CANAL AND BOURBON STREET, AGAIN, YOU CAN KIND OF STILL SEE BEHIND US A LOT OF THOSE INVESTIGATORS STILL TRYING TO CLEAR THE SCENE, BUT IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER TWO DAYS. ACCORDING TO LOCAL LEADERS, TOURISTS LIKE NIKKI AND TINA HERE FROM HALFWAY ACROSS THE GLOBE, STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH US, UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH AND YOUR TIME. AND WE DO WANT TO TELL ALL THE TOURISTS, YOU KNOW, WE DO LOVE TOURISTS AND VISITORS. SO WELCOME TO NEW ORLEANS. UNFORTUNATELY, UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT BUT A HAPPY, BLESSED NEW YEAR TO YOU GUYS AND THANK YOU. AND IF YOU DO GO TO THE SUGAR BOWL TOMORROW, WE WANTED TO SAY, PLEASE STAY SAFE, STAY VIGILANT AND AWARE, AND STAY SAFE

Tourists from New Zealand describe eerie terrorist attack similarities one day before French Quarter attack

Two tourists visiting New Orleans from New Zealand witnessed the terror attack on Bourbon Street Wednesday morning. An Army veteran is accused of driving a truck through crowds in the French Quarter, carrying guns, bombs and an ISIS flag, according to the FBI. The tourists say New Zealand dealt with an eerily similar incident on Tuesday.WDSU Anchors Randi Rousseau and Sula Kim spoke with the tourists on their reaction to both events.

NEW ORLEANS —

Two tourists visiting New Orleans from New Zealand witnessed the terror attack on Bourbon Street Wednesday morning.

An Army veteran is accused of driving a truck through crowds in the French Quarter, carrying guns, bombs and an ISIS flag, according to the FBI.

The tourists say New Zealand dealt with an eerily similar incident on Tuesday.

WDSU Anchors Randi Rousseau and Sula Kim spoke with the tourists on their reaction to both events.