By Gram Slattery
(Reuters) – 15 people were killed and 30 injured after a U.S. Army veteran carrying an Islamic State flag on his truck swerved around makeshift barricades and plowed into revelers in New Orleans' crowded French Quarter on New Year's Day.
While authorities have not released the names of the victims, at least four of those killed have been identified by family members or other associates.
Nicole Perez
Her manager, Kimberly Asher, told Reuters that Nicole Perez, 28, had just received a promotion, was moving into a new apartment, and was teaching her 4-year-old son to read before she was killed on Wednesday morning.
Asher, who owned a deli in the New Orleans area where Perez worked, recounted that Perez would sometimes bring her son to work and play spelling games with him. Asher described Perez as a hardworking mother and dedicated employee.
“She had just gotten a new apartment, so she and her son were about to start their new life,” Asher said. “And now it's no more.”
Tiger River
Tiger Peck, 27, a native of nearby Lafayette, Louisiana, and a graduate of Princeton University, was killed Wednesday morning, according to Marty Cannon, the principal at Peck High School, which he attended. Cannon said he learned of Beck's death through his network of mutual friends and colleagues.
Cannon described Beck, who played football at Princeton, as an extraordinary intellectual and athlete.
“I've seen a lot of great athletes, but there are things Tiger can do on the football field that I've never seen anyone else do,” Cannon said.
“He was just a guy with tremendous depth, too. He was smart, he was cultured, and he was just an impressive guy.”
Beck, who worked in finance in New York, was in town for the holidays, Cannon said.
Nekira Cheyenne Dido
Nekira Dido, 18, an aspiring nurse from Mississippi, was among those killed in the car-ramming attack, according to the Times-Picayune.
Dido was scheduled to begin a nursing program later in January at Blue Cliff College and was in New Orleans celebrating the New Year with his cousin and a friend, the newspaper said, citing colleagues of the victim.
Melissa Dido, identified by the Times-Picayune as Nickera Dido's mother, appeared to confirm her daughter's death in a widely shared Facebook (NASDAQ:) post on Wednesday.
“When your parents say don't go anywhere, please listen to them,” Dido wrote. “My baby's all gone. My baby's gone and she's no longer with us.”
Attempts to contact the elder Dedeaux and confirm her relationship with Nikyra Dedeaux on Wednesday evening were not immediately successful.
Reggie Hunter
Reggie Hunter, 37, a father of two from Baton Rouge, was among those killed, the Times-Picayune reported, citing the victim's cousin.
Hunter, a warehouse manager, took pride in the academic achievements of his eldest son, who was school-age, and enjoyed working with friends and family, the newspaper reported.
independent (LON:) Attempts to contact Hunter's cousin, Cheryl Jackson, were not immediately successful.
