Dancing Grannies director, mental health expert on avoiding anxiety after New Orleans attack

 

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Nearly six weeks after a memorial was dedicated to the six people who were hit and killed by a driver during the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade, Jan Kwiatkowski got a call from another member of the Dancing Grannies group she leads.

There had been a terrorist attack in New Orleans in the first hours of 2025, and the killer used a pick-up truck to carry out the violence, which left 15 people dead along Bourbon Street. 

The 2021 attack in Waukesha killed six people, including four people connected to Milwaukee's Dancing Grannies. Whenever a similar attack happened, such as a July 4 parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, or a terrorist truck attack in Germany last month, Kwiatkowski said the Dancing Grannies will check on each other.

"This one is different," she said Thursday. "And it hit really hard because the first thing is, 'Oh my God. We know these people.'"

Kwiatkowski referred to the group's 2023 trip to New Orleans. They marched in the famous Mardi Gras parade that year, but they were first greeted at the airport by local dance troupe, The 610 Stompers.

Kwiatkowski said her mind immediately went back to the Grannies' time on Bourbon Street as she watched video from the New Year's Day attack on Wednesday.

"Knowing how small the street is, how narrow that area was that the car would have to get through," she said. "And I'm going, 'My God, this isn't much bigger than Waukesha."

A new stream of cellphone videos and surveillance camera recordings from the New Orleans attack circulated social media Thursday.

Dr. Tyler Rickers, the medical director of depression recovery at Rogers Behavioral Health, said the volume of images from a terrorist attack on such an iconic destination could easily induce anxiety.

"We have access to a lot of cameras, a lot of different angles. Social media is able to put a lot of that up, even before it comes onto the news sometimes, so it's not filtered," Rickers said. "And so, the amount of triggering material that is out there is very high."

Rickers said some people are more easily overwhelmed by the flood of videos and images than others. In some cases, people are naturally predisposed to anxiety or paranoia after such an attack. He said past trauma will also determine how people react.

"There's genetics that play a role, of course, and some people are wired to be more anxious and afraid and sensitive to these things," he said. "If you've experienced something like this, for example, the tragic event in Waukesha three years ago. If that affected you in some way, this is likely to affect you again."

Rickers said the New Orleans attack is also likely to resonate with more people because of the circumstances. Most people spent at least some time on sidewalks with cars driving alongside them, and he added the attack happening during a celebration will also heighten some people's fears.

Kwiatkowski said the Grannies have a system where they'll call or text each other when an incident happens that could bring back memories of the Waukesha attack. Some will want to talk while others will prefer to have some space.

"We've very honest with each other about what we need," she said. "No matter what it is, you need it? I've got your back."

Kwiatkowski said some Grannies have turned to crafts while others exercise more often. Some Grannies talk to therapists, as well. 

The group also has a mascot who lifts spirits: a small, white dog named Gracie. She has three legs after a stretch of living on the street, and Kwiatkowski said the dog is another source of inspiration.

"I thought, 'the Grannies need to meet her' because she's got her own resilient story just like the Grannies do," she said. "And they all fell in love with her."

Wearing a necklace featuring an outline of Louisiana, Kwiatkowski said there's now another source of inspiration for the group: a planned return to New Orleans, where the Grannies plan to march in the 2026 Mardi Gras parade.

"We've been down this rodeo now a couple times with things that have happened in the world," Kwiatkowski said. "Unfortunately, we're really good at getting through the aftermath of things like this."