By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-01 22:26:42 | Updated at 2025-01-04 14:08:51
2 days ago
The brother of former college football player Tiger Bech has posted an emotional tribute to his older sibling after his death in the New Orleans terror attack.
Bech, 28, was among 15 people killed after a terrorist ploughed a vehicle into a large crowd celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in the early hours of Wednesday morning. 35 people were also left injured.
Driver Shamsud Din Jabbar, who was killed in a resulting shootout with police, rammed into the group at high speed before getting out and firing a weapon, witnesses said. Investigators also found what appeared to be improvised explosives at the crash site that did not detonate.
After being struck by the vehicle, Bech was rushed to a local hospital before being kept on a life-support machine until his family could arrive, Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School, told KLFY. He died later on Wednesday morning.
Tributes have poured in for the ex-Princeton wide receiver, including from his younger brother Jack - a standout wide receive for Texas Christian University.
Jack, 22, quoted a post on X announcing Tiger's death and wrote: 'Love you always brother ! You inspired me everyday now you get to be with me in every moment.
Jack Bech (right), the brother of former college football player Tiger Bech (left), has posted an emotional tribute to his older sibling after his death in the New Orleans terror attack
Tiger, 28, was among 15 people killed after a terrorist ploughed a vehicle into a large crowd
His younger brother sent an emotional message on X after Wednesday's devastating events
'I got this family T, don’t worry. This is for us'.
Tiger, a Lafayette, Louisiana native, played for Princeton from 2016-18 and earned second-team All-Ivy League honors as a return specialist in his last two seasons.
He graduated from the Ivy League in 2021 with a degree in finance and went on to work as a stockbroker at a New York firm.
The Princeton graduate, who was in New Orleans for the holidays, played high school football for St. Thomas More Catholic High School as a quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back and punt runner.
His younger brother, meanwhile, is set to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft after emerging as one of the top wideouts in the country after two seasons with LSU and another two with TCU.
The FBI said the driver was Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran from Texas. They are investigating the massacre 'as an act of terrorism' and New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell described it as a 'terrorist attack'.
An ISIS flag and weapons were found inside the vehicle, as the FBI continues to assess Jabbar's connection to the terror group.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's New Orleans field office, said during a news conference that the agency does not believe Jabbar acted alone.
He promised to look after the Bech family while telling his brother how much he 'inspired' him
Jack is set to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft after emerging as a standout wide receiver at TCU
Shamsud Din Jabbar (pictured), 42, has been identified as the driver behind the attack
Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was 'hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did" and he tried "to run over as many people as he could.'
Guns and pipe bombs were found in the suspect's vehicle, according to the State Police bulletin.
The devices were concealed within coolers and wired for remote detonation with a remote control that also was found in the vehicle, the bulletin said.
In the aftermath of the devastating attack in New Orleans' French Quarter, college football officials have postponed the Sugar Bowl for 24 hours as officials continue to conduct security checks and the city remains on high alert.
The game, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame, will not be played until Thursday evening after initially being scheduled for 8:45pm ET on New Year's Day.
In a law enforcement press conference, officials with the Sugar Bowl say that ESPN, the Southeastern Conference, and both schools 'all agreed' to postpone the game for 24 hours in order to ensure the safety of all those involved.
