Louisiana governor's seemingly tone-deaf tweet following New Orleans massacre draws online ire

A tweet issued by the governor of Louisiana just hours after a driver mowed down more than a dozen people in New Orleans in an apparent act of terrorism has drawn heavy criticism on social media.

At around 3:15 on Wednesday morning, as revelers were still happily ringing in the new year, a man driving a truck with an ISIS flag apparently affixed to it came barreling down Bourbon Street and plowed into a crowd, leaving at least 15 people dead and 35 injured.

After striking the pedestrians, the suspect in the incident, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas, then exited his vehicle and engaged in a shoot-out with police. Jabbar died at the scene, and two officers were wounded but are now in stable condition.

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Chief Anne Kirkpatrick claimed that the suspect had an "intentional mindset" and "was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage he did."

The apparent act of terrorism in the heart of one of America's oldest cities shocked the nation. Even the Sugar Bowl matchup between the University of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia, set to be played at the Superdome in New Orleans Wednesday night, was rescheduled for Thursday afternoon because of ongoing safety concerns.

'So your "guests" are more important than your constituents ... you’ve been heard loud and clear.'

Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, 54, who just assumed office a year ago, responded quickly to the incident. By 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday, he had taken to social media to comment on the murderous rampage, ask for prayers for the victims, and provide updates about public safety. By 4 p.m., Landry had even declared a state of emergency, citing his responsibility to protect against "dangers to the state and people."

Those social media messages from Landry were generally well-received.

However, a tweet he issued at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, about a half-hour before the Sugar Bowl was originally scheduled to kick off, prompted a very different reaction.

"Ate dinner tonight in New Orleans. Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See everyone at the game tomorrow!" Landry wrote cheerfully.

He also included a photo of himself giving a thumbs up while gathered with six others outside Bon Ton Prime Rib, an expensive restaurant located just a few blocks from where investigators, first responders, and other personnel continued to clean up the scene, identify the deceased, and disengage possible explosive devices before they could detonate and injure or kill more people.

The online backlash against Landry's seemingly tone-deaf post was swift and fierce:

• "We’re all in this together, am I right? Except some are eating at fancy steakhouses while others are being slaughtered in the street. A**hole," wrote YouTuber David Freiheit, the Canadian lawyer and former litigator better known as Viva Frei.
• "15 people DEAD in a terrorist attack ... let’s celebrate with a STEAK DINNER!!! Such vile people ..." added another popular comment from a user identified as D.S.S.
• "Fire your social media team. The optics could NOT be any worse here," said Michael Flynn Jr., son of General Michael Flynn.
• "Were you dropped on the head as a child?" joked Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of the Federalist.

The barrage of criticism led Landry to issue a follow-up post, insisting that altering his official schedule that day would be to "cower to radical islamic terrorists."

"It’s important to understand that we have many visitors in the city of New Orleans right now. Safety is our top priority and we want our guests and the world to know that Louisiana does not cower to radical islamic terrorists," Landry stated about 90 minutes after the original post.

"Our restaurants and all New Orleans has to offer remain open for business!"

The follow-up post did little to quell the anger:

• "So your 'guests' are more important than your constituents ... you’ve been heard loud and clear," wrote one user.
• "Wow, I'm glad I don't live in LA. You didn't even take a moment to show some respect to the ones who lost their lives nor their families. You had yourself what looks like a celebratory meal," added another.
• "You’re not making yourself look any less heartless or sociopathic with this attempt to justify your original post," said yet another.

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