Family members have confirmed that 40-year-old Elliot Wilkinson is among the victims of the devastating terror attack that occurred on New Year’s Day along Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Elliot’s brother, Cecil Wilkinson of Lafayette, expressed his grief and heartbreak in a heartfelt post on Facebook. “I know life was hard for you at times,” Cecil wrote. “I wasn’t expecting to get the phone call.” The Wilkinson family is grappling with the sudden loss of their loved one as they join the broader community in mourning the lives lost during the attack.
The tragedy unfolded early in the morning when a truck plowed into a crowd of people, killing 15 and leaving several others injured. Authorities have since identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, who was shot and killed by police after the attack. Elliot Wilkinson’s life, like those of the other victims, was tragically cut short in an act of senseless violence. His family, along with the families of all those affected, are calling for justice and peace during this difficult time.
Investigations into the attack are ongoing. Community members have been encouraged to share any information that may assist authorities in their inquiries. The New Orleans coroner's office has identified all but one of the 14 people killed when the driver of a white pickup truck sped down Bourbon Street packed with holiday revelers early on New Year's Day. The cause of death for all of the victims was “blunt force injuries," the coroner said in an email Friday. The 14 victims of the New Orleans truck attack all suffered fatal injuries on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, the coroner's office said. Two new names not previously reported were Brandon Taylor, 43, of Harvey, Louisiana and Elliot Wilkinson, 40, of Slidell, Louisiana. The youngest victim was 18 years old and the oldest 63. Most victims were in their 20s. They came from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey and Great Britain. The name of the British citizen who was killed was withheld at the family’s request, and the 14th person, a Black female, has not been identified, but efforts are ongoing, the email said. About 30 people were injured and 16 remain hospitalized, half in the Intensive Care Unit.
Elliot Wilkinson, originally from Slidell, LA, is the 11th victim of the New Orleans terror attack. Elliot struggled with mental illness and was recently released from prison. He was living on the street, not wanting to be a burden to his family. Wilkinson's brother found out about his passing when he received a call from the coroner's office Thursday. “To my little brother Elliot Wilkinson, you was loved and you will truly be missed,” Wilkinson’s brother also wrote on Facebook. “I know life was hard for you at times. But I wasn't expecting to get the phone call this morning you was one of them that got hit in New Orleans in the French Quarter," according to the family's statement on Facebook. He leaves behind his mother, brother, sister, and a daughter. The loss of Elliot Wilkinson is a profound reminder of the tragedy that unfolded on Bourbon Street and its impact on the lives of so many. His family and loved ones are now left to mourn a life taken far too soon.
