Saints coach Darren Rizzi feared his son was missing after New Orleans terror attack

Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi had the same terrifying experience as many parents in and around New Orleans on New Year’s Day.

After learning of the terrorist attack that killed 15 people and injured more than 30 in the French Quarter early Wednesday, the 54-year-old New Jersey resident panicked about the whereabouts of one of his teenage sons.

“I left my house this morning, I went to see if my son was home and he wasn’t,” Rizzi told reporters Wednesday afternoon, without specifying which of his three sons he was referring to. “Then I sat in that parking lot and found out there was mass casualties, the first thing I did was find out where his location was.

“And luckily for me, he was sleeping over at his friend’s house,” Rizzi continued. “I’m blessed and I’m lucky and I’m lucky because there are other kids that didn’t go home last night.”

Rizzi spoke more than 12 hours after Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old American citizen born and raised in Texas, rammed a truck into the crowd on Bourbon Street early on New Year’s Day. In addition to the deaths, more than thirty people were injured. Jabbar was killed during a shootout with police after the attack at about 3:15 a.m. along Bourbon Street near Canal Street, the FBI said.

Like many parents, Rizzi felt vulnerable on Wednesday.

Police vehicles are seen outside the Louisiana Superdome after Wednesday’s attack

“It affects me personally because I have five children between the ages of 17 and 26 and I can tell you early this morning that the first thing I thought about was that my own son was out in this community last night on New Year’s Eve. he said. “My daughter was home last week and was in the French Quarter. This affects you.’

Seven victims have now been identified among the 15 innocent people killed in the horrific terror attack in New Orleans.

A former college football star, high school student, father of two and young mother are among the 15 victims who were tragically killed when Jabbar deliberately struck pedestrians with an ISIS flag hanging from his car.

Tiger Bech, 28, Ni’kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, 18, Reggie Hunter, 37, Nicole Perez, 27, Matthew Tenedorio, Kareem Badawi and Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, were killed in the senseless attack in the early hours of New Year’s Day in the French Quarter .

Rizzi also told reporters about his memories of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when two of his former high school teammates were murdered at the World Trade Center.

“I went to a lot of memorials and funerals,” said Rizzi, who played at famed New Jersey powerhouse Bergen Catholic before enrolling at Rhode Island. “And so every time something like this comes up, because you could see the smoke from the World Trade Center at my house, where I lived, and so when I tell you it hits home, it hits home.”

Law enforcement officers work at the scene where people were killed by a man driving a truck

Before taking over from the fired Dennis Allen in November, Rizzi previously worked under Sean Payton – the coach who helped revive the Saints in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. For many, it was a Super Bowl victory from the team 15 years ago that brought New Orleans’ return to prominence.

Rizzi was quick to reference the resurrections of New Orleans’ past when speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

“Here’s what I know,” Rizzi said. “I know that the community that we live in, this city, this state is one of the most resilient, if not the most resilient, in the entire United States. That has been proven time and time again.

“I know they have risen before, will rise again and support everyone. I also know this: this entire community has our entire organization behind it 100 percent. Our players, our coaches, our staff. Everyone at this organization is there for this community.

“Everyone I asked if I wanted to move here – no matter what they said – they all had two things to say,” Rizzi continued. ‘Number one: the food. Right? But the second was always the people. And it’s the resilience of the people, it’s the attitude of the people, and it’s the community involvement here that I think makes the people in this area who they are.

He would eventually turn the conversation to Katrina.

“Obviously there’s been so many things that have happened here – natural disasters, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes – that this area has had to deal with. We always, always, always come back and always, always, always find a way to get through it,” he said.

“This is going to be a difficult time, but I’m sure the community will do the same in this case.”

While Rizzi is confident in New Orleans’ future, his is less certain in the crescent city, where he has worked since 2019.

The Saints are just 5-11 heading into the season finale in Tampa on Sunday.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who briefly played for the Saints, is rumored to be a candidate in New Orleans, although the team could also turn to offensive coordinator Klunt Kubiak, former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel , or defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. Anthony Wever.