Topline
The families of almost all of the victims of a truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day have identified their loved ones as among the people killed, including Edward Pettifer, the stepson of a former nanny for the Royal Family, former Princeton University football star Tiger Bech and several college-aged students celebrating the occasion on Bourbon Street.
A cross with a picture of 18-year-old victim Ni’Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux is seen at a memorial on … [+]
AFP via Getty ImagesKey Facts
Thirteen people have been identified by friends or family as among those killed, as law enforcement officials continue to withhold victims’ identities until autopsies are completed and next of kin can be notified.
Chris Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division, said at a press conference late Thursday morning that 14 “innocent victims” were killed in the attack; the suspect was also killed.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill also told “Fox & Friends” Thursday that at least 10 more people are “clinging to life” in local hospitals.
Bourbon Street, the famous party street on which the attack took place, reopened Thursday afternoon ahead of the rescheduled Sugar Bowl college football playoff game between the University of Georgia and Notre Dame.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Who Is Martin ‘tiger’ Bech?
Bech, an All-Ivy League honoree in his time at Princeton, died at a New Orleans hospital late Wednesday, The Times-Picayune first reported citing Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School, Bech’s alma mater. Bech graduated from Princeton in 2021 before starting work as a trader at a New York brokerage firm, and is the older brother of former LSU and TCU wide receiver Jack Bech, who called him an inspiration in a post on X.
Who Is Billy Dimaio?
DiMaio, 25, was remembered by his father as a “good, humble kid” who “loved life.” The 25-year-old killed in the Jan. 1 attack was a New York-based account executive with Audacy Inc. and the oldest of three children. He was captain of his lacrosse team at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia before graduating in 2022, and went on to earn a master’s degree in business. His company said he would be remembered for his “unwavering work ethic, positive attitude, and kindness.”
Who Is Drew Dauphin?
The president of Auburn University in Alabama confirmed that Dauphin, a 2023 graduate, was among those killed. Dauphin, a 26-year-old employee of a Honda auto plant, was in New Orleans for a New Year’s Eve concert when he was killed.
Who Is Terrence Kennedy?
A 63-year-old born-and-raised New Orleanian was one of nine siblings and a big-time football fan whose sister described him as a kind man with a big heart, NBC affiliate WDSU reported.
Who Is Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux?
The mother of 18-year-old Dedeaux said her daughter snuck away with her cousin and friend to celebrate the New Year on Bourbon Street. The teenager, an aspiring nurse, was the third oldest of six children and remembered by her mother as the “sweetest person.” Dedeaux graduated from Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, Mississippi, in 2024 and was set to start a nursing program later this month, according to CBS affiliate WWL.
Who Is Reggie Hunter?
A 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, Hunter was celebrating the occasion with his cousin when they were both hit by the truck that plowed into the crowd of revelers. Shirell Jackson, his cousin, told The Times-Picayune Hunter died of his injuries. Hunter, a California native, loved fashion and his 12-year-old and 18-month-old sons, his cousin said.
Who Is Matthew Tenedorio?
The parents of 25-year-old victim Tenedorio told NBC News he was a “wonderful kid” who was “just starting life” and had the job of his dreams. His parents said they tried to dissuade him from going to downtown New Orleans for New Year’s Eve celebrations, and blamed the “foolishness of youth” for his decision to go to Bourbon Street. Tenedorio was an audiovisual technician at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome stadium, where the Sugar Bowl is set to take place. His cousin, Christina Bounds, said in a Facebook post that he “gave the best hugs and had the biggest smile.”
Who Is Nicole Perez?
A single mother in her late 20s was confirmed as one of the people killed Wednesday by her employer, Kimmy’s Deli at Lakeway in Metairie, Louisiana. She was described by deli owner Kimberly Usher as “a really good mom” to her 4-year-old son, Melo.
Who Is Kareen Badawi?
The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge confirmed that 2024 graduate Badawi died as a result of the attack. Badawi was a freshman at the University of Alabama and had pledged to join the Sigma Chi fraternity, according to The Birmingham News. His father, Belal Badawi, posted on Facebook that his son had died and asked Allah for the “patience and strength to overcome.”
Who Is Hubert Gauthreaux?
New Orleans native Gauthreaux, 21, was among those killed according to his alma mater, Archbishop Shaw High School, from which he graduated in 2021.
Who Is Edward Pettifer?
Edward Pettifer, 31, was among those killed in the attack, London’s Metropolitan Police announced. Pettifer was the stepson of Prince William’s and Prince Harry’s former nanny Alexandra Pettifer, who watched over the brothers in the 1990s, according to the BBC. King Charles reportedly said he was “deeply saddened” by Pettifer’s death and has been in touch with his family. Prince William said in a statement the Royal Family’s “thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family” and the others killed in the attack. Prince Harry declined to comment publicly on the attack to the BBC. The Pettifer family released a statement saying they were “devastated” by Edward Pettfier’s death, saying they “will all miss him terribly.”
Who Is Brandon Taylor?
Brandon Taylor, 43, was with his fiancee Heather Genusa when he was killed in the attack, Genusa told the New Orleans Advocate. Taylor, who worked as a cook in Terrytown, Louisiana, was born in Marrero, Louisiana, and had a love for music, concerts and rapping, one of his friends told the outlet.
Who Is Elliot Wilkinson?
Elliot Wilkinson, 40, was living on the streets in New Orleans after having recently been released from prison, his brother Cecil Wilkinson told CNN. Elliot Wilkinson had problems with mental illness, according to his brother, who said the Wilkinson family was notified about Elliot’s death a day after the attack.
Who Else Was Injured In The New Orleans Attack?
Ryan Quigley, another former Princeton football player, was among those injured, according to his alma mater, Lansdale Catholic High School. An unidentified University of Georgia student was critically injured and is receiving medical treatment, the school’s president Jere Morehead said in a statement. WBBH in Fort Myers reported that two 20-year-old women from the Florida city were among those injured. Two Israeli citizens and two Mexican nationals were also hurt, officials in both countries told CNN and the Times.
Key Background
Law enforcement agencies say a man named Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, drove a rented Ford pickup truck into the crowd on Bourbon Street at around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, and then opened fire at police. He was killed in an ensuing gunfight. Federal agents do not think Jabbar was “solely responsible” for the attack, FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Alethea Duncan said in a press conference, and are working to identify his “potential associations.” President Joe Biden said in a speech that Jabbar “posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill.” Officials are also investigating a set of potential improvised explosive devices that were found inside the truck and in the surrounding area, which they say may have been assembled at an Airbnb rental in New Orleans. Murrill also said a house fire early Wednesday appears to be connected to the incident.
Further Reading
Read the full article here
