New Orleans truck attack: Single mother, father of two, and former Princeton Football Star among victims of terror

A US Army veteran, who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revellers in New Orleans, killing 15 people, had posted videos on social media hours before the attack, stating he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressing a desire to kill, according to the president. The FBI is investigating the early morning attack as a terrorist act. Authorities believe the driver, who was shot dead by police after plowing into the crowd, did not act alone.

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As reported by the Associated Press, an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two, and a former Princeton football star were among the 15 people killed in the terror attack.

While officials have yet to release the names of the victims of the New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans, their families and friends have started to share their stories. New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna stated that the names will be disclosed once autopsies are completed and the next of kin have been notified. Around 30 others were injured in the attack.

Nikyra Dedeaux

Zion Parsons of Gulfport, Mississippi, had been celebrating New Year’s Eve at his first night on Bourbon Street when a vehicle appeared and plowed into his friend, 18-year-old Nikyra Dedeaux, who he said had dreamed of becoming a nurse.

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“A truck hit the corner and comes barreling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air,” Parsons, 18, told The Associated Press. “It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive.”

Dedeaux was a responsible daughter — shorter than all her siblings but the one who helped take care of everyone, Parsons said. Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start college and begin working towards her goal of becoming a registered nurse.

Reggie Hunter

A 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge was among the 15 people killed early Wednesday when a pickup truck careened down Bourbon Street in what officials called an act of terror.

Tiger Bech

A former high school and college football player from Louisiana was among the victims killed when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ French Quarter, according to an education official.

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Tiger Bech, 27, passed away late Wednesday morning at a New Orleans hospital, according to local media citing Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette. Bech, a former student of the school, played multiple positions, including wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner, and defensive back, as reported by NOLA.com.

Nicole Perez

Nicole Perez, a single mother to a 4-year-old son, was working tirelessly to improve life for her family when she was tragically killed in the New Orleans truck attack, according to her employer.

Perez, in her late 20s, had recently been promoted to manager at Kimmy’s Deli in Metairie, Louisiana, and was “really excited about it,” said deli owner Kimberly Usher in a phone interview with AP. Usher confirmed Perez’s death through her sister, who also works at the deli.