A DAD-of-two and an 18-year-old aspiring nurse are among the victims of the tragic New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans.
At least 15 people were killed after a “radicalized” US Army veteran rammed his truck into a crowd celebrating the New Year’s events on Bourbon Street.
Harrowing footage revealed how the terror attack unfolded with heroic cops rushing to the scene to finally end the New Year’s Day massacre.
The victims have not been officially named, but grieving family members and relatives have started sharing their tragic stories.
Among the 15 people killed was 18-year-old Nikyra Dedeaux who dreamed of becoming a nurse.
The truck slammed her and flung her at least 30 feet, her friend Zion Parsons told the AP.
Parsons said Dedeaux was a responsible daughter who helped take care of everyone,
She had a job at a hospital and was set to start college and begin working towards her goal of becoming a registered nurse.
The teen’s death was confirmed by her mum Melissa on social media.
She wrote: “I lost my baby just pray for me and my family please!!! God I need you now!”
Meanwhile, a 37-year-old father of two was also tragically killed in the suspected terror attack.
Reggie Hunter had just left work and headed to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a cousin when the rampage unfolded, his first cousin Shirell Jackson told Nola.com.
The other cousin suffered extensive internal injuries and remains in hospital.
Shirell described Hunter as “full of life” and said he had messaged the family minutes after midnight to wish them a Happy New Near.
Hunter’s younger sister Courtney Hunter, told the New York Times her brother loved to be around the family and was competitive when it came to playing games.
Martin “Tiger” Bech, 27, who played American football for Princeton University, was also among the dead.
His younger brother Jack, 22, who played with Louisiana State University, confirmed the news.
He wrote on Instagram: “You inspired me every day, now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family, T, don’t worry.
“Love you always brother!”
Bech played football at Princeton University before graduating in 2021.
He was working as an investment trader at a New York brokerage firm.
He earned All-Ivy League honours as a returner.
Princeton football coach Bob Surace said on Wednesday that he had been texting with Bech’s father, sharing memories of the player, who was a school kick returner and receiver from 2017 to 2019.
“He might be the first Tiger to ever play for us, and that nickname kind of described him as a competitor,” Surace told ESPN.
“He was somebody that somehow, like in the key moments, just excelled and was full of energy, full of life,” she added.
Meanwhile, Nicole Perez, a single mother to a four-year-old son, was also among the victims who died in the tragedy.
Her death was confirmed by her boss who said she was working hard to make a better life for herself and her family.
She was recently promoted to manager at Kimmys Deli in Metairie, Louisiana and was really excited about it.
“She was just out with her friends last night, and this happened,” said her boss Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Perez’s burial costs and to help with expenses for her son.
Ushed added: “She was a really good mom. She learnt quickly. She just wanted to be successful.”
The death of Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, was confirmed by his former high school, Archbishop Shaw, on social media.
The school wrote in a post: “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.
“Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”
Kareem Badawi, a student at the University of Alabama, was also one of the victims killed in the suspected terror attack.
His death was confirmed by the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, from which he graduated last year.
The attack came just hours after a suspected bomber blew up a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
Shocking footage caught the moment the blast occurred outside the glass entrance of the hotel just before 9am on New Year’s Day.
The Cybertruck was ripped apart by the huge explosion that sent its’ metal paneling flying.
Shattered glass was thrown across the entrance of the hotel with seven others injured.
Inside the truck were fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel connected to a detonation system controlled by the driver, CNN reports.
It was reduced to a blazing wreck that continued to burn for some time.
Cops are probing whether the deadly explosion was an “act of terror” after the truck pulled up to the hotel in Nevada and blew up.
The suspected bomber has been identified as US Army veteran Matthew Livelsberger who reportedly served at the same army base as the New Orleans suspect.
However, investigators have yet to confirm any potential relationship or connections between the two suspects.
Cops have now identified the suspect of the attack as US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42.
Jabbar reportedly drove onto a sidewalk to avoid a cop car blocking the road, bollards, and officers who were there protecting the public.
Police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the Jabbar drove the pick-up truck down Bourbon Street “at a very fast pace” and was “intentionally trying to run over as many people as he possibly could”.
The death toll sat at 10 for most of Wednesday but rose to 15 after an update from New Orleans Coroner Dr. Dwight McKenna.
Police found an ISIS flag on the back of his truck and they’re now searching for associates of the suspect who may have helped him in the terror plot.
Pipe bombs were reportedly found inside the car concealed within coolers and were wired for remote detonation, a state police intelligence bulletin obtained by AP said.
The remote that controlled two of the bombs was also found inside the suspect’s tract along with two mason jars with explosives.
The FBI said the 3am attack is being investigated as an “act of terrorism” and they are investigating Jabbar’s “associations and affiliations”.
Jabbar’s brother Abdur who lives in Texas blamed “radicalization” for the deadly rampage.
Abdur told The New York Times that his brother converted to Islam at a very young age, but added that his actions “did not represent Islam”.
“This is more some type of radicalization, not religion,” he said.
Authorities say the videos were made by a person travelling from Texas to Louisiana but are yet to confirm if Jabbar is the person talking.
But he did own a property registered in Sugar Land, Texas, details have since been revealed.
Jabbar was “being all crazy”, the new husband of his ex-wife said, the New York Times reports.
The suspect also had two daughters who have been left a “mess” after the attack.
