The brother of former college football player Tiger Bech has posted an emotional tribute to his older brother following his death in the New Orleans terrorist attack.
Bech, 28, was among 15 people killed after a terrorist rammed a vehicle into a large crowd celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in the early hours of Wednesday morning. 35 people were also injured.
Driver Shamsud Din Jabbar, who was killed in a shootout with police, plowed into the group at high speed before getting out and firing a gun, 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 remaining on a life support machine until his family could arrive, Kim Broussard, athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School, he told KLFY. He died later Wednesday morning.
Tributes have poured in for the former Princeton wide receiver, including from his younger brother Jack, a standout wide receiver at Texas Christian University.
Jack, 22, quoted a post on X announcing Tiger’s death and wrote: ‘I will always love you bro! You inspired me every day now you can be with me every moment.
Jack Bech (right), brother of former college football player Tiger Bech (left), has posted an emotional tribute to his older brother following his death in the New Orleans terrorist attack.
Tiger, 28, was among 15 people killed after a terrorist drove a vehicle into a large crowd.
His younger brother sent an emotional message to X after the devastating events of Wednesday
‘I have this T family, don’t worry. This is for us.’
Tiger, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, played for Princeton from 2016-18 and earned second-team All-Ivy League honors as a return specialist his final two seasons.
He graduated from the Ivy League in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to work as a stockbroker at a New York firm.
The Princeton graduate, who was in New Orleans over the holidays, played football at St. Thomas More Catholic High School as a quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back and punter.
Meanwhile, his younger brother will declare for the 2025 NFL Draft after emerging as one of the nation’s top receivers 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 called it a “terrorist attack.”
An ISIS flag and weapons were found inside the vehicle, as the FBI continues to evaluate Jabbar’s connection to the terrorist group.
Alethea Duncan, 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 take care of the Bech family while telling his brother how much he ‘inspired’ him
Jack is ready 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 of the attack.
Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was “bent on creating the carnage and damage he caused” and tried to “run over as many people as he could”.
Firearms and pipe bombs were found in the suspect’s vehicle, according to the State Police bulletin.
The devices were hidden inside refrigerators and wired for remote detonation with a remote control that was also found in the vehicle, according to the bulletin.
In the wake of the devastating attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter, college football officials 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, won’t be played until Thursday night after initially being scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET on New Year’s Day.
At a police news conference, Sugar Bowl officials said ESPN, the Southeastern Conference and both schools “agreed” to postpone the game for 24 hours to ensure the safety of everyone involved.