Football star, aspiring nurse and father-of-two among those killed in New Orleans attack
Family members and school communities have identified six victims killed in the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans, where a man believed to have been influenced by ISIS drove a pickup truck into a crowd before opening fire.
The victims include an 18-year-old woman with ambitions to become a nurse, a single mother, a father-of-two and a former Princeton football star, all of whom suffered fatal injuries.
Fifteen people have been confirmed dead, including the perpetrator, and around 30 were injured.
New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said officials will release the names of the dead once autopsies are complete and they've talked with the next of kin.
However, the friends and family of some of the victims have taken to social media to share their stories.
Kareem Badawi, 18
University of Alabama freshman Kareem Badawi, was also among the 15 people killed in the attack on Bourbon Street.
“I learned today that Kareem Badawi, one of our students at the University of Alabama, was killed in the terrorist attack in New Orleans,” university President Stuart R. Bell announced in a statement on Facebook.
“I grieve alongside family and friends of Kareem in their heartbreaking loss.”
Badawi’s high school, the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, said it would be holding an evening prayer session on Thursday for Badawi and Parker Vidrine, another former student who was injured in the attack.
Both Badawi and Vidrine graduated from the high school in 2024.
Nicole Perez, 27
Nicole Perez a single mother to a four-year-old son was working hard to make life better for her family when she was killed in the New Orleans truck attack, according to her employer.
Perez had been recently promoted to manager at Kimmy’s Deli in Metarie, Louisiana and “was really excited about it,” deli owner Kimberly Usher said
She would bring her son, Melo, to work, where during breaks she taught him basic learning skills.
Perez’s family said her five-year-old son was still unaware of his mother’s death and they were trying to find a way to break the news to the young boy, possibly with the help of a psychologist.
“We don’t know how to tell him, it’s heartbreaking,” her sister Jessica Carvajal said.
“She was a really good mum,” said Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Perez’s burial costs and to help with expenses for her son.
“He will need to transition into a new living situation,” the donation request said.
Tiger Bech, 27
Former Princeton football player Tiger Bech had traveled to his home state Louisiana for the holidays and was planning to fly back to New York on Wednesday morning, according to his older sister Virginia Bech.
Instead, he was caught up in the deadly attack on his way back to a hotel with his best friend Ryan Quigley, and died from internal injuries including head trauma hours after.
According to his sister, “Happy new year” was the last text message he sent to a family group chat, at 1:30am.
“Evil will not prevail,” said Virginia Bech, describing herself as “heartbroken.”
Bech had been working as a junior trader for capital markets firm Seaport Global Holdings in New York City after graduating in 2021.
Quigley, Bech’s friend, is in a stable condition with severe cuts to the head and a broken leg, the sister said citing doctors.
Reggie Hunter, 37
Reggie Hunter was at Bourbon Street with his cousin, Kevin Ball, when the attack occurred. He was taken to a hospital, where he was still alive when some family members visited him.
The father of two was known for his sense of humor, according to his cousin Shirell Robinson Jackson.
“He loved his kids. He loved, loved, loved his family,” Jackson wrote in a Facebook post in memory of him, calling his death “a punch to the gut.”
“He surely didn’t deserve this, none of the victims did,” she added.
Nikyra Dedeaux, 18
Nikyra Dedeaux was out with her friends celebrating New Year’s Eve when she was hit by the speeding vehicle.
Her friend, Zion Parsons, who was with her at the time said: "A truck hit the corner and comes barreling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air.
"It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive."
Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start college and begin working towards her goal of becoming a registered nurse.
Hubert Gauthreaux, 21
Former Archbishop Shaw High School graduate Hubert Gauthreaux was among those killed in the early hours of Wednesday Morning.
His school payed tribute to him on social media asking their community to pray for his "family and friends during this difficult time, and all those affected by this tragedy".
Matthew Tenedorio, 25
On New Year’s Eve, Matthew Tenedorio traveled to New Orleans to ring in 2025 with two friends.
“That night he had dinner with his family, his mom, his dad, his brother and his niece at his brother’s house in Slidell,” Christina Bounds, Matthew's cousin told CNN. “They begged Matthew not to go.”
After the attack on Bourbon Street, Tenedorio ran toward the chaos to see if he could help, his parents told CNN, citing friends who were with him.
A coroner told the family he died of a gunshot, his mother Cathy Tenedorio said.
“He had high hopes of having his own family,” Ms Bounds said. “He’s always cracking jokes. He always had a smile, I mean he smiled more than I did.”
Drew Dauphin, 26
A recent Auburn University graduate, Drew Dauphin, was identified by the school as one of the victims in Wednesday’s attack who said their thoughts are with "Drew’s family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time."
In a statement the Dauphin family said: “It’s unbelievable. Who should have to come up with words for this? Our family is suffering more than anyone can imagine."
“We cherish the 26 years that we had with him and raising him will always be one of the greatest joys of our lives," they added. "Our family is numb and in shock through this horrific and senseless tragedy.”
Billy DiMaio, 25
DiMaio was a 2022 graduate of Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, the school said in a release.
“We are devastated by the news of the passing of our alumnus Billy DiMaio ’22. Billy was a leader within our community who shined not only as a star student in the classroom, but also as a top athlete, serving as a Captain on our 2022 championship Lacrosse team,” the school said.
“Our prayers are with the entire DiMaio family at this tragic hour, as our entire College reflects upon the positive impact he had upon so many in our close community.”
The 25-year-old was a New York-based account executive at Audacy who said "Billy will be fondly remembered for his unwavering work ethic, positive attitude, and kindness.”
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