A single mom who worked hard to provide for her son, a Princeton football player who received All-Ivy League honors and an 18-year-old with dreams of becoming an engineer are among the dead in Wednesday’s attack in New Orleans.
Authorities say 14 people were killed and dozens of others were injured when a driver plowed through a crowd of New Year’s revelers on a busy intersection of Bourbon Street.
On Thursday morning, friends, families and schools began reporting the names of victims. By Saturday morning, 13 were identified.
New Orleans Coroner Dwight McKenna told NOLA.com it will take several days to perform all autopsies. As of Saturday morning, the Coroner's Office had identified 12 of the 14 victims. London's Metropolitan Police identified one of the unnamed victims, a British national, and the other is an unknown Black woman.
“Once we complete the autopsies and talk with the next of kin, we will release the identifications of the victims,” he said.
Here’s what we know about the victims so far:
Kareem Badawi
An 18-year-old engineering student, Kareem Badawi, was one of the first to be named a victim. His father told the Gulf State Newsroom he had just finished his first semester at the University of Alabama. He had come home to Baton Rouge for winter break and went to New Orleans on New Year’s Eve to celebrate with his friends.
“So he said, Dad, I mean, everybody goes to New Orleans, and I would love to go and celebrate the new year over there. I said, OK, go ahead, son. Just be careful, you know?” his father, Belal Badawi recalled. “And I sent my son to have a new year and a party with his friends and — I don't know. I mean, what did my son do to get killed?”
Belal Badawi, who is Muslim, said he saw reports linking the suspect to the terror group ISIS.
"Does not represent Islam. Does not represent anything, you know?" he said
A vigil was held Thursday night at Kareem's former high school in Baton Rouge.
Tiger Bech
Former Princeton wide receiver Tiger Bech died in the hospital after being seriously injured in the attack. He was on life support until his family could be with him, Kim Broussard, the athletic director at his former school, St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, told the Acadiana Advocate.
Bech, a wide receiver, earned All-Ivy League honors twice. He graduated from Princeton in 2021 and had been working as a trader at Seaport Global in New York, according to his LinkedIn page.
Princeton’s head football coach Bob Surace said Bech was a “tiger” in every way, and described him as a “ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend.”
"There was no more appropriate nickname [Tiger] of a Princeton player I coached," Surace said in a statement. “Our last conversation was about how proud I was of the growth he showed during his time at Princeton and the success he was having after graduation. My love goes to the entire Bech family."
Drew Dauphin
Montgomery, Alabama, native Drew Dauphin, 26, was just over a year out of college and working in the automotive industry before he was killed in the attack.
Dauphin’s family described his smile as “infectious,” lighting up every room he entered. Since his death, those closest to him said they’re numb, shocked by the tragedy.
“It’s unbelievable. Who should have to come up with words for this? Our family is suffering more than anyone can imagine,” his family said in a statement provided to Sen. Katie Britt, who represents Alabama.
Despite graduating in 2016, Dauphin’s impact can still be felt at his old high school, Alabama Christian Academy (ACA).
“Drew's still a legend at ACA,” said Head of School Josh Roberts. “He was unbelievably athletic, and just really was a guy that drew people together and encouraged everyone around him.”
Roberts said Dauphin played baseball and football for the school and was known for rallying students around the teams — organizing road trips to cheer on the football team and painting himself in school colors.
One of Dauphin’s favorite places was Lake Martin, a reservoir northeast of Montgomery. He loved wakeboarding with his brother, devoted to life on the lake.
“There's nothing behind a ski boat that he has ever seen that he couldn't do himself,” Roberts said.
In their statement, his family said they hoped their son would now be able to spend every day on the water in the sun.
“We did not get to spend enough time with him and can’t believe that we will never see him again this side of heaven,” Dauphin’s family said.
Nikyra Dedeaux
Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, of Gulfport, Mississippi, was on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a nurse. She had a job at a hospital and planned to start college, her close friend, Zion Parsons, told the Associated Press.
Parsons recalled watching in horror as the driver plowed into the crowd, hitting Nikyra.
"A truck hit the corner and comes barreling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air," he said. "It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive."
Parsons said Dedeaux was a responsible daughter who took care of her younger siblings.
"She had her mindset — she didn't have everything figured out, but she had the plan laid down," he added.
Billy DiMaio
NOLA.com reported Billy DiMaio, a New York-based account executive with Audacy Inc., was one of the victims.
His parents described him as family-oriented, with a close relationship to his siblings and father, who he considered his best friend. His mother, Tracie, said he even had a tattoo with the names of all his cousins.
Billy spent his childhood in Long Island, New York, before his family moved to New Jersey. He graduated from Chestnut Hill College in 2022, where he played lacrosse and earned his master's.
He traveled to New Orleans to celebrate New Year’s Eve with friends and attend the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. His friends were not harmed in the attack.
"He was a special child," his father, Bill DiMaio, told the newspaper. "He had a gift that everyone saw right away. Right away."
"He was a pure, gentle-hearted soul. He will be truly missed," Billy’s mother added.
Hubert Gauthreaux
Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, an alum of Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, was also killed in the attack, the Catholic school confirmed in a post on Facebook.
The school has set up a GoFundMe page to support his family.
"We ask that our Westbank family continue to offer prayers for the souls of Hubert and all those who tragically lost their lives in the New Orleans attack on New Year's Day."
Reggie Hunter
Reggie Hunter, a 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, was on Bourbon celebrating New Year’s Eve with his cousin when he was fatally run over.
"They decided to go out there because he came in from work and said, 'Hey, the Sugar Bowl is tomorrow. It's New Year's Eve. Let's go to the city,'" Hunter’s cousin, Shirell Jackson, told NOLA.com. "Just something so simple. 'Hey cuz, wanna ride me to the city?'"
Hunter’s cousin suffered extensive injuries and remains at an area hospital.
"It's hard, and his [Reggie Hunter’s] mama was murdered (in 2016). ... It is bringing back a lot,' Jackson said.
Terrence “Terry” Kennedy
Terrence Kennedy, a New Orleans native, was retired and enjoyed people-watching and chatting with strangers in the French Quarter, his family told the Associated Press.
He told his sister he was heading out on New Year’s Eve, and when he didn’t respond the next morning, the family started searching for him.
The coroner later confirmed he died in the attack, but it’s unclear if he died from the truck’s impact or gunshot wounds. His family was told he was alive when he reached the hospital.
Kennedy had already lost four siblings, including a sister who passed away a month earlier. His niece, James, 43, remembered him as a “sweet, kind, loving, helpful person that would not harm anyone.”
Nicole Perez
Nicole Perez, a single mother in her late 20s, was out celebrating with friends when her life was cut short. Her mother, Martha Perez, told CNN Nicole had been with her family before the incident, laughing and enjoying dinner.
“We were talking and laughing… She was so happy always,” Martha said. “Now [I] miss her. She’s never [coming] back with me. Somebody killed my daughter. A terrorist killed my daughter.”
Perez worked at Kimmy’s Deli in Metairie, and had just been promoted to manager, her employer, Kimberly Usher told the Associated Press.
She was "beautiful and full of life," Usher wrote on a GoFundMe page, which was set up to help cover Perez’s burial costs and support her 5-year-old son, Melo.
"Melo is now without his momma, and we are without our friend and dedicated employee,” Usher said. “I’m hoping to get some help for her burial expenses and to help her son with expenses he will need to transition into a new living situation."
Perez’s family told CNN the boy doesn’t know his mother died, and they’re thinking about consulting a psychologist to help them break the news.
Edward Pettifer
Edward Pettifer, a 31-year-old British national from Chelsea, London, was confirmed to be among the deceased by the BBC on Saturday.
The Prince of Wales, William, said in a statement that he and Catherine are "shocked and saddened" by Pettifer's death, who is the stepson of his and Prince Harry's former nanny, Alexandra "Tiggy" Pettifer.
According to the BBC's palace sources, King Charles was "deeply saddened" by the death and has been in touch with Pettifer's family.
Brandon Taylor
Brandon Taylor, 43, of Terrytown, Louisiana, was identified by NOLA.com as also identified as one of the deceased.
He was described as a quiet lover of rap and a fun-loving friend who worked as a cook at Dimartion's restaurant in Terrytown, according to his mother.
He was engaged to be married to his fiancée, Heather Genusa, 38, who was with him in the 300 block of Bourbon Street when the incident happened.
"He was my entire life. Brandon was my everything, and I lost it all," Genusa told NOLA.com.
Matthew Tenedorio
Matthew Tenedorio, a 25-year-old from New Orleans, also died in the attack, his parents confirmed to NBC News, sharing their shock and grief.
Tenedorio grew up on Long Island, New York, and then moved to the city, where he worked as an audiovisual technician at the Superdome. He was out with a group of friends celebrating the new year when the attack happened.
“We spent New Year's Eve at my middle son's home with his wife and daughter, and we had dinner and we did fireworks outside, and just laughing and hugging each other and telling each other we loved each other, and trying to dissuade him from going into New Orleans, but you know, the foolishness of youth, I'm sorry to say, they just have to experience life and there is no fear of risks. They don't think about risks,” his mother, Cathy, told NBC. "He was a wonderful son."
Elliot Wilkinson
Slidell native Elliot Wilkinson, 40, loved New Orleans, where he felt at home, his brother, Cecil told CNN.
“He was a good-hearted person, and he loved the city of New Orleans and always talked about going back. He had a hard life,” his brother said. “He recently got out of prison and had problems with mental illness. He could’ve stayed with me, our sister or mother but he never wanted to be a burden to the family, so he went back to New Orleans.”
Wilkinson leaves behind his mother, brother, sister, and daughter.
“To my little brother Elliot Wilkinson, you was loved and you will truly be missed,” his brother wrote on Facebook. “I know life was hard for you at times. But I wasn’t expecting to get the phone call…you was one of them that got hit in New Orleans in the French Quarter.”
