New Orleans terrorist attack survivor grateful despite serious injuries: 'I'm very lucky' | FOX 35 Orlando
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New Orleans terrorist attack survivor grateful despite serious injuries: 'I'm very lucky'

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Published  February 21, 2025 8:06pm EST
Seminole County
FOX 35 Orlando

Florida man recovering after New Orleans attack

A Sanford, Florida resident is on the road to recovery after he was hit by a truck during the New Orleans terrorist attack on New Year's Day. Jeremi Sensky was on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day when a man with ties to ISIS drove through a crowd of people.

The Brief

    • Jeremi Sensky, a Sanford man paralyzed from a past car crash, survived a terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day, where a truck driven by a man with ISIS ties killed 14 people. 
    • Sensky sustained severe leg injuries but is grateful to be alive, though he struggles with survivor’s guilt. 
    • He’s now recovering and looks forward to attending Sanford Porchfest with his family.

SANFORD, Fla. - A survivor of the New Orleans attack said he is grateful despite the severe injuries he sustained in the New Year's Day terror plot.

'Oh my God, I can't believe I'm still alive'

What we know:

Jeremi Sensky, a resident of Sanford, Florida, was severely injured during a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. 

A rented truck, driven by 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an army veteran with ties to ISIS, plowed through a crowd, killing 14 people and injuring many more. 

Sensky, who was already paralyzed from the chest down after a 1999 car crash, suffered multiple broken bones and was wheelchair-bound after the attack.

What we don't know:

Details about the motivations behind Jabbar’s specific actions remain unclear, though the FBI has stated that he acted alone and was inspired by ISIS. There is no information on whether Jabbar had any prior criminal history or connections to the New Orleans community before the attack. 

The impact of the attack on Sensky’s long-term physical and emotional health is still to be fully determined, especially given his survivor’s guilt.

The backstory:

Jeremi Sensky had been living in Sanford, Florida, and was spending some time in New Orleans when the attack occurred. He had been paralyzed after a car crash in 1999 and had already faced significant physical challenges. 

The terrorist attack on New Year’s Day left him with severe injuries in both legs and one ankle, but he was fortunate to survive when many around him did not. His journey to recovery has been difficult, and he has expressed feelings of survivor’s guilt, but he remains thankful to be alive.

Sensky is a "snowbird," as he lives in Pennsylvania the rest of the year but spends the winters at his Florida home. Now, with a heavy heart, Sensky is preparing to head to his favorite event with his family, Sanford Porchfest.

Big picture view:

The attack on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day was part of a growing global trend of lone-wolf terrorism, where individuals inspired by extremist ideologies carry out violent acts. The New Orleans incident took a tragic toll, killing 14 people and injuring several others. 

While Sensky’s recovery is ongoing, his story sheds light on the emotional and physical toll of surviving such a traumatic event, as well as the community impact in New Orleans and beyond.

What they're saying:

Jeremi Sensky spoke about the moments after the attack.

"I looked to my right and I saw people gasping. Their mouths were wide open. Then, I heard screaming," explained Sensky. "I got smashed, flew through the air, hit the ground, and I was looking over the truck and started hearing gunfire. People were screaming. I couldn't see anything."

Sensky broke his femur, fibula, and tibia in both legs and one of his ankles. When he was hit, he said he couldn’t move.

"I was scared to death," said Senski. "I kept asking someone to call my wife. I kept saying my phone number. I said, call my wife and tell her that I'm alive."

The terrorist attack killed 14 people, some of whom were next to Sensky.

"A cop came over to me and I said, ‘My legs, my legs, my legs. Something's wrong with me. What's going on?’ And he said, 'Listen, you're very lucky to be alive because almost everyone around you is dead," said Sensky.

Sensky is feeling more than thankful to being a survivor.

"I woke up and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe I'm still alive,'" Senski said. "I am very grateful to be here. I'm very lucky, very lucky."

Through his ongoing recovery, Sensky has a sense of disbelief and gratitude.

"I woke up, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe I'm still alive.' I am very grateful to be here. I'm very lucky, very lucky."

Sensky also shared his thoughts on the horror of the attack.

"What happened is disgusting. I mean, for anybody to hate something so bad that they would just run through a crowd of people and kill that many people. I mean, it's just something you can't think about."

He described his feelings of survivor's guilt.

"Whenever I first got out of the surgery, I had a lot of survivor's guilt. Like, I felt terrible. And that, I mean, not that I made it through, but just all the people that died."

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Jeremi Senski, a survivor of the New Orleans terrorist attack, and by Fox News.

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