An 18-year-old girl who dreamed of becoming a nurse, a father of two and a former Princeton football star was among those killed in New Orleans when a white truck driver drove down Bourbon Street, full of of holidaymakers early Wednesday morning .
Officials have not yet released the names of the 15 people who died in the New Year's Day truck attack, but their families and friends have begun to share their stories.
The coroner of New Orleans, Dr. Dwight McKenna, said in a statement late Wednesday that they will release the names of the dead once autopsies are complete and they have spoken to the 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., was celebrating New Year's Eve on Bourbon Street in the city's French Quarter when a pickup truck appeared and plowed into his friend, Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, who said she had dreamed of becoming a nurse.
“A truck hits the corner and comes through, throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people in the air,” Parsons, 18, told The Associated Press. i like at least 30 feet and i was just lucky to be alive.”
The driver drove around a police cordon and ran into protesters before being shot dead by police during an exchange of gunfire. Parsons described the aftermath of the blast and injured victims, hearing gunshots and the sounds of explosions.
“Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and screaming,” Parsons said. “People crying on the floor, brain stuff all over the ground. It was just insane, 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 ready to start college and start working toward her goal of becoming a registered nurse.
“She had her mind set — it wasn't all figured out but she had her 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 terrorism.
Hunter had just left work and celebrated the New Year with a cousin when the attack happened, his first cousin Shirell Jackson told Nola.com.
Hunter was killed and his cousin was injured, Jackson said.
Beech Tiger
A former high school and college football player from Louisiana was another victim who died after the truck driver accelerated and plowed into the crowd, according to an education official.
Tiger Bech, 28, died late Wednesday morning at a hospital in New Orleans, according to local media, citing Kim Broussard, athletic director at St. Thomas More in Lafayette, La. Bech attended high school, where he played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and defensive back, Nola.com said.
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 the school's kick returner and receiver from 2017 to 2019.
“He was probably the first Tiger to ever play for us, and that nickname described him as a competitor,” Surace told ESPN. The school's nickname is the Tigers. “He was somebody who was somehow, like in the prime, just great and full of energy, full of life,” Surace said.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old Texas man suspected of ramming a truck into New Orleans revelers on New Year's Day, killing at least 15 people and Injuring dozens more, a US Army soldier who worked in construction later, according to officials and public records. The FBI believes that Jabbar, who was killed in a shootout with police after the vehicle attack, is not 'solely responsible', and they are looking for accomplices.
Bech had worked at Seaport Global, where company spokeswoman Lisa Lieberman could not confirm his death. But she told The Associated Press that he was “well respected by everyone 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 Jack Bech on the social media site said: “Love you always brother! You inspired me everyday now you get to be with me. in every moment. I got this family T, don't worry.
Nicole Perez
Another victim was identified as Nicole Perez, 28, the mother of a four-year-old boy from Metaire, La., who had just moved into a new apartment. She had also recently received a promotion at work, as manager of a deli in Metaire.
Perez was out with her friends for New Year's Eve when she was hit by a truck driven by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US-born Texas citizen. Investigators are continuing to investigate what prompted the US Army veteran, who was flying an ISIS flag from his truck, to run into the crowd.
“She was a very good mother,” said her boss, Kimberly Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Perez's funeral expenses and to help with expenses for her son “having to move to a new living situation,” the donation request says.
Hubert Gautreaux
Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, was identified by his former high school, Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, La., 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. Facebook.
“We ask the entire family of Archbishop Shaw to pray for the peace of mind of Hubert, his family and friends during this difficult time, and for all those affected by this tragedy.”
Meanwhile, the FBI says it has recovered a bold black Islamic State flag from the truck used in the attack. The investigation is expected to look into any support or encouragement Jabbar may have received from the violent group based in the Middle East or any of at least 19 offshoots around the world.
US President Joe Biden says the FBI told him that “just hours before the attack, (Jabbar) had posted videos on social media suggesting he had been provoked” 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 guns and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vehicle along with other devices elsewhere in the French Quarter.
Sugar Bowl rescheduled
The Sugar Bowl was a college football quarterfinal rescheduled from Wednesdayy night until Thursday at 3pm local time at the Caesars Superdome as a result of the attack, which happened just over a kilometer away from the stadium.
Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley says all parties agreed it was in the best interest of public safety to push the game back. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry says he will attend and is confident the area around the stadium will be safe.
“Our main goal is to make the city safe for the future,” 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 incident .
