Northeast Mississippi couple recounts New Year’s New Orleans trip
Newlyweds were in French Quarter hours before deadly terrorist attack
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Forrest and Grace Timmons were married in September, and for their first New Year’s Eve as husband and wife, Forrest wanted Grace to experience the Big Easy.
“Grace had never been to New Orleans before so I ended up taking her, let her experience Bourbon Street, French Quarter, just to see what it is all about,” Forrest said.
The couple enjoyed the sights and sounds leading up to midnight on Bourbon Street.
“We got to Bourbon, nine, ten that night, went to different bars, seeing, experiencing it all, just after midnight, 1230 we left Bourbon, went to the casino, 2:30, we left the casino and headed back to the hotel. At about 2:45 or so, we were hungry, I said I’m going to walk to Canal, try and find somewhere open, I got to Canal, said it was 3 am, and nobody was open, besides the bars, I turned around about 3 ‘o clock and walked back to our hotel,” Forrest said.
Moments later, a truck driven by 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar plowed through the crowds on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring more than 30.
Forrest and Grace weren’t aware of the attack until they started getting text messages from friends and loved ones.
“Our phones were blowing up, early that morning, we didn’t know, we were half asleep, we were getting messages from friends and family asking if we were ok and what had happened,” Grace said.
Forrest and Grace ventured back outside and saw a very different French Quarter.
“Prior to what happened, everyone was in good spirits, having a good time and after that we went in French Quarter area and you could tell, it was an eerie kind of feeling, being at the same place where everything occurred the night before, the shift in people’s mood,” Grace said.
Both Forrest and Grace say they appreciate law enforcement and first responders who are working the case and they are looking forward to a return trip to New Orleans. They also say it is important to remember the victims.
“Praying for victims, families, keeping them in prayers. For healing and comfort. A lot of victims were people our age, it is hard on families for sure,” Forrest said.
Forrest and Grace made their trip with another couple from Northeast Mississippi, who were also in the French Quarter only an hour or so before the deadly attack.
