In the early hours of the morning, a truck careened into the crowded sidewalk of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. According to police “Upon further investigation, a total of 10 victims were declared to be deceased on scene. At this time, approximately 35 additional victims were determined to have suffered injuries in relation to this incident.”
They went on to say that “Those injured were transported to multiple local and area hospitals via EMS for treatment. No updates are currently available on these victims’ conditions,” it added, noting that further information on the suspect, fatally shot by police, is also not available.” A suspect drove his vehicle through a crowd and then opened fire.
The same report added that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is leading the investigation. Mayor of New Orleans LaToya Cantrell has described the tragedy as a “terrorist attack,” and the FBI said in a statement that it is “working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.” Rev. Franklin Graham added his voice to the conversation.
“The issue is the human heart,” Rev. Franklin Graham said. ” Media, law enforcement, and the mayor are suggesting that the horrific act of violence on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early this morning may be a case of terrorism,” Graham stated. He cited the police commissioner who said that the suspect — shot dead by police — was “hell bent on…carnage.”
“Whether it is terrorism or not, the issue is the human heart. This is a clear indication of the evil in the human heart, and the evil that is around us in this world,” Graham went on. “After brutally running over dozens of people, the driver opened fire on the police and two officers were shot. We pray for those who lost loved ones and the many injured.”
He concluded with a sobering remark: “This tragic incident is a reminder of how important it is for each of us to be ready to stand before God. None of us know when we might be caught in a vortex of violence and evil, and our lives on this earth will come to an end. The only hope for all of us is if we repent of our sin and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.”
As we reported earlier this year, Evangelist Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) recently shared the gospel with over 24,000 people in Vietnam. The event was held at the Cần Thơ Stadium earlier this week, where thousands were hungry to hear the good news of Christ, leading to well over 1,000 individuals making the move to give their lives to Jesus.
Sharing images of the event on X, Graham wrote, “The Gospel transcends all languages and cultures. What a privilege to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in Cần Thơ, Vietnam, tonight! I told the nearly 14,000 people in the stadium that there are two types of blindness—physical blindness and spiritual blindness. We praise God for the hundreds of people whose hearts were moved and they responded to the invitation to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior and follow Him as Lord of their lives! #SeasonofLoveFestival @BGEA.”
The BGEA shared a clip on X of Graham sharing the Gospel with the crowd with a caption that read, “I pray for many Vietnamese people to come to know the Lord Jesus. Many have beliefs in tribal deities that add fear & uncertainty to their lives, in huge contrast to the deep peace that only Christ can bring!” In the video, Graham informs the crowd of the sheer brevity of the decision to follow Christ, a matter of heaven or hell.