Hoda Kotb sends 'thoughts and prayers' to New Orleans after

Hoda Kotb stands with the city of New Orleans in the wake of the deadly attack on Bourbon Street.

During a live broadcast on Peacock of the New Year’s Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, Hoda and parade co-host Al Roker addressed the New Year’s Eve incident in the French Quarter.

“Before we begin the festivities, we’d love to extend our deepest sympathies to all of those who were impacted by these tragic events occurring in New Orleans earlier this morning,” Roker said at the top of the broadcast.

Kotb followed with, “A lot of people woke up and saw the tragic news. And we just want to say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in New Orleans. New Orleans is my second home, and my heart broke this morning. But we are going to try to bring some light today, so we’re happy to be with you this morning.”

The longtime TODAY anchor has a special connection to the Big Easy — she resided in New Orleans during the ’90s, where she worked as a local news reporter from 1992 to 1998 before joining NBC.

“New Orleans has a heartbeat. It is alive,” Hoda said in a 2023 video feature with Southern Living magazine. “When the city celebrates, we celebrate, and when the city hurts, we hurt. It has a soul. That’s how I would describe New Orleans.”

Last spring, Hoda and Jenna Bush Hager celebrated their fifth anniversary of co-hosting TODAY with Hoda & Jenna by taking the show to New Orleans.

More than 30 people were injured and at least 10 were killed after a driver plowed a Ford pickup truck into a crowd of pedestrians in what the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism. Police have identified the suspect as Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42. The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 1, and officials confirmed the suspect died during a shootout with police.

“This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” Anne Kirkpatrick, superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, said at a news conference. “He was hell bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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