New Orleans: Castlederg man who leads youth project twinned with New Orleans says community is shocked that terror attack would happen in their 'compact' city

US citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, drove a pickup truck with an Islamic State flag through crowds in New Orleans during New Year’s celebrations, killing 15 and injuring dozens before being shot dead by police.

Jonny Harron, who was last in the city in July, said that while terror attacks sometimes happen in major US centres, it had never occurred to him or his friends there that such a thing would happen in their "compact" city - which has a population of only 360,000.

Mr Harron has forged close links with New Orlean through his work with the Ulster Project, a cross community programme that brings children from across the community on trips to American cities with the aim of growing mutual understanding and friendship.

The IT professional is the coordinator for the Castlederg chapter of the organisation, which has long been twinned with the New Orleans chapter.

"I would say I have been in New Orleans most summers in the past 20 years," he told the News Letter.

"Obviously once I heard about the attack I touched base with all my friends out there, as we all tend to do nowadays, via social media.

"So they've just been gradually checking in to let us know that they haven't been directly affected."

He estimates he has well over 100 friends in the city.

"When you initially heard the news it's very shocking. You don't expect that sort of stuff to happen in New Orleans, I suppose, in comparison to maybe other bigger cities in America.

"Because in American terms, New Orleans is quite compact and quite small in terms of a city centre."

"The people who have been coming back to me are quite shocked by it all.

"They have a similar view to me - you just don't expect those sorts of things in New Orleans.

"They're all thanking us for prayers and for thinking about them, even though we're a fair distance away from them."

He noted that the city centre would have been a soft and easy target at this time of the year, with so many tourist attractions in full flow.

A major American Football game, The Sugar Bowl, was due to take place and many people would also have been in the city for New Year's celebrations.

He is very familiar with the area where the attack took place.

"Bourbon Street would be the main thoroughfare, a bit like the Golden Mile in Belfast, where a lot of socialising takes place."

"It would have been the old French quarters which in fact has a lot of its Spanish history and architecture - if you think of all the fancy ironwork balconies.

For him it would have been an obvious and very soft target for someone intent on death and destruction.

"It would be the busiest area of the city at that time."

For him the horrific attack only strengthens his sense of loyalty to his work and friends there.

"All being well, we hope to go out again this summer with another group of young people from across the community," he said.