Around 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day, a pickup truck drove into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring many others. The Police Department confirmed the crash was intentional, as the investigation found that the driver had maneuvered around barricades before driving into the crowd.
New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell called it a terrorist attack during a news conference on Jan. 1, and was later confirmed by the FBI to be the case.
Fans Pour in Love for Jack Bech and His Family
One of the victims was 27-year-old Tiger Bech, who was a former Princeton University football player and worked as a trader. He was on Bourbon Street with his best friend and was taken to a hospital, where he passed away later in the morning after being kept on life support until his parents could arrive.
His brother, Jack Bech, who plays as a wide receiver at TCU and is an NFL prospect, said on Jan. 3: “Now, each day on will be the hardest day of my life. Just living there, knowing I can’t speak to him ever again ” [h/t Jasmine Dean of KLFY]
Prayers: NFL draft prospect Jack Bech spoke about his brother Tiger’s death in the New Orleans terrorist attack, saying each day will now be the hardest day of his life, he told @KLFY
“Now, each day on will be the hardest day of my life. Just living there, knowing I can’t speak… pic.twitter.com/wxMY7KbLgm
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 4, 2025
Jack’s parents FaceTimed him from the hospital.
“I truly believe he could hear us,” Jack said. “His eyes were closed and he was on a machine, but I know he could hear us. God kept his heart beating for a reason, and I believe it was so that me and my family could tell him goodbye.”
Upon hearing the news, fans poured in their love and well wishes for the family.
“That’s just terrible! Feel so badly for him!” a fan said.
“Thoughts and prayers got out to the families involved and the city of New Orleans. 🙏,” another fan said.
“Prayers for this young man family 🙏🏾,” a fan wrote.
The love continued raining in.
“He will always be with him,” a fan noted.
“Pls go first overall and be a star 🙏,” a fan said.
“💔🙏,” a fan wrote.
The incident happened at the corner of Bourbon and Iberville streets. Two of the police officers who were entangled in a shootout with the driver were injured but are expected to recover. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have closed Bourbon Street to traffic.