An 18-year-old girl who dreamed of becoming a nurse, a father of two and a former Princeton football star were among those killed in New Orleans when the driver of a white truck plowed through revelers on Bourbon Street early Wednesday in the morning. .
Officials have not yet released the names of the 15 people who died in the New Year’s Eve truck attack, but their families and friends have begun to share their stories.
New Orleans coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said in a statement late Wednesday that they will release the names of the dead after autopsies are completed and they have spoken with relatives. About 30 people were injured in the attack. Here are the names of some of the victims:
Nikyra Dedeaux
Zion Parsons of Gulfport, Miss., had been celebrating New Year’s Eve on Bourbon Street in the city’s French Quarter when a pickup truck pulled up and crashed into his friend, Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, who said she dreamed of becoming nurse.
“A truck hit the corner and barreled through, throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people in the air,” Parsons, 18, told The Associated Press. “She hit him and threw him like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive.”
The driver drove around a police roadblock and crashed into revelers before being shot dead by police during a shootout. Parsons described the horrific aftermath of bloodshed and mutilated victims, hearing gunshots and the sound of explosions.
“Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, all yelling and screaming,” Parsons said. “People crying on the floor, like brain matter all over the ground. It was just crazy, like the closest thing to a war zone I’ve ever seen.”
Dedeaux was a responsible girl and helped take care of her siblings, Parsons said. Dedeaux also had a job at a hospital and was determined to start college and begin working toward her goal of becoming a registered nurse.
“She had her mindset — she didn’t have it all figured out, but she had the plan laid out,” Parsons said.
Reggie Hunter
Reggie Hunter, 37, a father of two from Baton Rouge, La., was also among those killed early Wednesday on Bourbon Street in what officials are investigating as an act of terror.
Hunter had just gotten off work and was headed out to celebrate New Year’s with a cousin when the attack happened, his first cousin Shirell Jackson told Nola.com.
Hunter was killed and his cousin was wounded, Jackson said.
Beech Tiger
A former high school and college football player from Louisiana was another victim who died after the truck driver sped up and crashed into the crowd, according to an education official.
Tiger Bech, 28, died late Wednesday morning at a New Orleans hospital, local media reported, citing Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Mary’s Catholic High School. Thomas More in Lafayette, La. Bech attended high school where he played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and defensive back, Nola.com reported.
Bech’s LinkedIn profile said he played football at Princeton University before graduating in 2021. He most recently worked as an investment trader at a brokerage firm in New York.
Princeton football coach Bob Surace said Wednesday that he had been texting Bech’s father, sharing memories of the player, who was a punt returner and receiver at the school from 2017 to 2019.
“He might be the first Tiger to ever play for us and that nickname described him as a competitor,” Surace told ESPN. The nickname of the school is the Tigers. “He was someone who kind of, like in key moments, just shined and was full of energy, full of life,” Surace said.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old Texas man suspected of plowing a truck into New Year’s Eve revelers in New Orleans, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more, was a US Army veteran, who later worked in real estate. according to officials and public records. The FBI believes Jabbar, who was killed in a shootout with police after the drive-by attack, was not “solely responsible” and they are looking for accomplices.
Bech worked at Seaport Global, where company spokeswoman Lisa Lieberman could not confirm his death. But she told The Associated Press that “he was extremely well regarded by all who knew him.”
Bech’s younger brother, Jack, is a senior wide receiver at Texas Christian University.
In response to a KLFY-TV report posted on X about Tiger Bech’s death, a post from an account for a Jack Bech on the social media site said: “Love you always bro! You inspired me every day now you can be with me at any moment i got this family don’t worry.
Nicole Perez
Another victim has been identified as Nicole Perez, 28, a mother of a four-year-old son from Metaire, La., who had just moved into a new apartment. She recently received a promotion at work as a manager of a restaurant in Metaire.
Perez was out with friends on New Year’s Eve when she was hit by a truck driven by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US-born citizen from Texas. Investigators continue to search for what motivated the US Army veteran, who was carrying an ISIS flag from his truck, to drive into the crowd.
“She was a really good mom,” said her boss, Kimberly Usher, who set up a GoFundMe account to cover Perez’s funeral expenses and help with expenses for her son that “he’s going to must move to a new life situation”, the donation. says the request.
Hubert Gauthreaux
Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, was identified by his former high school, Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, La., as among those killed on Bourbon Street.
“It is with great sadness that we share that alum Hubert Gauthreaux, Class of 2021, was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter,” the school said in a statement on Facebook.
“We ask the entire family of Archbishop Shaw to pray for the repose of Hubert’s soul, his family and friends during this difficult time and for all those affected by this tragedy.”
Meanwhile, the FBI says it has recovered a stark black Islamic State flag from the truck used in the attack. The investigation is expected to look into any support or inspiration Jabbar may have received from that violent group based in the Middle East or any of at least 19 branches around the world.
US President Joe Biden says the FBI told him that “just hours before the attack, (Jabbar) posted videos on social media showing he was inspired” by the Islamic State group.
The FBI says it is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and does not believe the driver acted alone.
Investigators found weapons and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle along with other devices elsewhere in the French Quarter.
The sugar bowl was redesigned
College football’s quarterfinal game, the Sugar Bowl, was rescheduled from Wednesday night to Thursday at 3 p.m. local time at Caesars Superdome because of the attack, which happened just over a mile from the stadium.
Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley says all parties agreed it was in the best interest of public safety to postpone the game. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says he will attend and is confident the area in and around the stadium will be safe.
“Our main focus is to make the city safe moving forward,” New Orleans city council member Jean-Paul Morrell told CBC News on Thursday.
He said fans should expect to spend more time clearing checkpoints at the stadium, “because we’re trying to make everyone safe after this event.”
