Loved Ones Start Revealing Identities of New Orleans Attack Victims

Police investigators surround the white Ford F-150 pickup truck that crashed after allegedly driving into a crowd of New Year's revelers in the French Quarter of New Orleans, on Jan. 1, 2025. Matthew Hinton/AFP via Getty Images

Family and friends have begun identifying the victims who were killed when a driver plowed into a crowd in the French Quarter of New Orleans on New Year’s Day.

In total, 15 people died and about 30 more people were injured when a U.S. Army veteran, flying an ISIS flag from his truck, swerved around police barriers and plowed into the crowds on Bourbon Street at approximately 3:15 a.m. local time.

The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas who once served in Afghanistan, was struck by bullets fired by police after he rammed his truck into the crowd.

He died at the scene.

The FBI is investigating the incident as a suspected terrorist attack and said it is working to determine Jabbar’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.

New Orleans coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna said in a statement late Wednesday that they will release the names of those who were killed in the deadly attack once autopsies have been completed and next of kin has been notified.

While authorities have not yet released the names of the dead, their relatives and friends have started sharing their stories with local media.

Among the victims was Nikyra Dedeaux, an 18-year-old Mississippi native who dreamed of becoming a registered nurse, according to her friend Zion Parsons, who was with her on the night she died.

Parsons told The Associated Press that Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start college to pursue her nursing career. He described his friend as a responsible daughter who helped take care of everyone.

Reggie Hunter, a 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, was also among those killed early Wednesday, one of his cousins, Shirell Robinson Jackson, told CBS News.

Jackson said Hunter was a store manager and a loving dad who was “full of life” and always laughing and joking.

Tiger Bech, a 27-year-old native of Lafayette and former football player, died in a New Orleans hospital late Wednesday after succumbing to his injuries, according to local media outlets citing Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette.

Bech attended the high school, where he played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner, and defensive back, NOLA reported.

Single Mother, Beloved Brother Among Victims

Nicole Perez, a single mother to a 4-year-old son, was also among the victims, according to her employer.

Perez, who was in her late 20s, had recently been promoted to manager at a Deli store in Louisiana and “was really excited about it,” the store’s owner, Kimberly Usher, told The Associated Press.

Usher confirmed Perez’s death through her sister, who also works for her.

FBI investigators arrive at the scene where a white Ford F-150 pickup truck crashed into a work lift after allegedly driving into a crowd of New Year's revelers in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 1, 2025. Matthew Hinton/AFP via Getty Images

Matthew Tenedorio, 25, was also killed in the attack, his parents told ABC News. Tenedorio was a graduate of Pearl River Central High School in Carriere, Mississippi.

The Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, Louisiana, confirmed in a statement on Facebook that former student Hubert Gauthreaux was also among those killed in the tragic attack.

According to the school, Gauthreaux was 21 years old and graduated from Shaw in 2021.

“We are asking the entire Archbishop Shaw family to pray for the repose of Hubert’s soul, his family and friends during this difficult time, and all those affected by this tragedy,” the school said.

In a Jan. 1 address at the White House, Biden condemned the “despicable” attack in New Orleans and said the suspect had posted videos on social media indicating he was inspired by ISIS and expressed a desire to kill just hours before plowing into the crowd.

Possible explosives were found in the vehicle and nearby, Biden said.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.