Grieving family and friends scrambled to identify the growing number of victims after a suspected terrorist drove his car into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year's Day.
The suspect, Shamsud Din Jabbar, was “desperate to create the carnage and damage he committed.” New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick Said.
“It was a very deliberate act,” the police chief said. “This guy was trying to run over as many people as possible.”
At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured in Wednesday morning's suspected terrorist attack, according to the FBI.
New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said in a statement late Wednesday that the names of the deceased will be released once an autopsy is complete and next of kin has been discussed.
FBI identifies suspect in terrorist act after Bourbon Street attack
Princeton Tigers wide receiver Tiger Beck, 7, plays for the Pennsylvania Quakers during the Penn Quakers vs. Princeton Tigers game at Powers Field on November 17, 2018 in Princeton, New Jersey. Running back Hunter Hayes, 8, tackles him. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tiger Beck, 27 years old
Former Princeton football player Tiger Beck, 27, was killed in the Bourbon Street attack.
In a heartfelt post, his brother Jack Beck remembered the All-Ivy League kick returner who played at Princeton from 2016-2018.
“Love you always brother! You inspired me every day and now you can be with me every moment,” he wrote in a social media post. “This was given to me by the T family, don’t worry, this is ours.”
He graduated from St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2015, according to a release from the school.
“The St. Thomas More Catholic High School community is mourning the loss of our colleague Tiger Beck, who passed away early this morning as a result of the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans,” they wrote. “Tiger is a 2015 graduate and was a standout athlete in football, lacrosse and track and field.”
“Please keep the Beck family in your prayers during this time,” they said.
A woman sits in the French Quarter after her friend Nikila Dedeaux, 18, died after a pickup truck crashed into a pedestrian on Bourbon Street and gunfire ensued in New Orleans' French Quarter on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Trevant Hayes (20 years old). 2025. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Nikila Dedo, 18 years old
Dedeaux, who wanted to be a nurse, was hit by a speeding truck during a New Year's Eve celebration.
His friend Zion Parsons told The Associated Press that he was hit by a truck and said he was “lucky to be alive.”
“The truck hit the corner and was coming at a really high speed, throwing people around like it was a scene from a movie,” Parsons, 18, told The Associated Press. “The impact hit her and threw her at least 30 feet. I'm very lucky to be alive.”
Who is Shamsud Din Jabar? What we know about the New Orleans New Year's terror suspect
Parsons said the 18-year-old had a job at a hospital and was planning to attend university.
“She had her own way of thinking. She didn't know everything, but she had a plan,” he says.
Investigators are investigating the scene after someone drove a car into a crowd at Canal Street and Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Nicole Perez, 28 years old
Nicole Perez was a single mother of a 4-year-old son when she was killed in a truck attack in New Orleans, her employer confirmed to The Associated Press.
Mr. Perez was recently promoted to manager of Kimmy's Deli in Metairie, La., and was “very excited,” deli owner Kimberly Asher said in a phone interview. Asher confirmed Perez's death through her sister, who also works for her.
Officials postpone Sugar Bowl after apparent terrorist attack on Bourbon Street
“She was a really good mother,” Asher said. Usher has set up a GoFundMe account to cover Perez's burial expenses and to help pay for her son, who “needs to transition to a new living situation.”
Reggie Hunter was identified as one of the victims of the Bourbon Street attack on January 1, 2025. (Reggie Hunter, via Facebook)
Reggie Hunter, 37 years old
Reggie Hunter, 37, headed to Bourbon Street after work on a whim when the 2025 bell tolled, said his cousin Shirell Jackson. Nola.com.
“They decided to go out because he came home from work and said, 'Hey, the Sugar Bowl is tomorrow. It's New Year's Eve. Let's go to town,'” Jackson told the magazine. “It's very simple: 'Hey, can you give me a ride into town?'”
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Hunter died from his injuries, Jackson said. Jackson was one of dozens of people injured in the attack.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
