Family ‘devastated’ by New Orleans killing of Chelsea man with links to Prince William
The family of Edward Pettifer have issued a statement expressing their sense of loss at the senseless death of the 31-year-old from Chelsea who had royal connections.
The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are supporting the family after his death in the New Orleans terrorist attack on New Year’s Day.
Edward was the stepson of Alexandra ‘Tiggy’ Pettifer, née Legge-Bourke, who cared for Prince William and Prince Harry in the 1990s.
William also expressed his ‘shock and sadness’ in hearing about the death.
The family of Edward Pettifer said: “The entire family are devastated at the tragic news of Ed‘s death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.
“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack. We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private. Thank you.”
Prince William said: “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.”
The January 1 attack saw a 42-year-old US Army veteran drive a pick-up truck into crowds along New Orleans’s famous Bourbon Street before being shot dead by police.
The New Orleans coroner gave Mr Pettifer’s preliminary cause of death as “blunt force injuries”, PA reports.
The Met’s family liaison officers are offering specialist support and will guide the family through the repatriation and coronial processes, working with a range of international and Government partners.
Pictured top: Edward Pettifer (Picture: The Met)