A former Princeton football player was among the victims of the fatal truck attack in New Orleans as people celebrated the arrival of 2025 early Wednesday morning. Tiger Bech, an All-Ivy League kick returner who played for Princeton from 2016 to 2018, was one of at least 10 people killed in the attack on Bourbon Street, according to multiple reports.
Bech was also identified from a social media post from his younger brother, Jack. He was 27 years old. Besides, two more victims were identified in the deadly terror attack in New Orleans that killed 15 revelers ringing in the New Year on the city's iconic Bourbon Street on Wednesday.
Young Live Lost
"Love you always brother! You inspired me everyday now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family T, don't worry. This is for us," Jack, a wide receiver at TCU, wrote in a post on X.
Bech, just weeks shy of his 28th birthday, was hit by a truck driven by 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man identified as suspect in the incident.
Kim Broussard, the athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School, where Bech had attended, told NOLA.com that he suffered internal bleeding as a result of the attack.
Bech was transported to a hospital in New Orleans, where he was placed on life support until his family could reach his bedside, according to the outlet.
Bech, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, had been working as a stockbroker in New York after earning a finance degree from Princeton in 2021. According to ESPN, he was visiting New Orleans to celebrate the holidays.
A Talented Footballer
"He was just starting a successful career in the business world," Princeton coach Bob Surace said to ESPN in an interview following the tragedy. "There were two or three times we had career nights, and you could call him with a day's notice, and he came down and shared his experiences as a young professional with our team."
In his three seasons with the Princeton Tigers, Tiger Bech made 53 receptions, accumulating 825 yards and scoring three touchdowns.
Jabbar, a Texas native and U.S. citizen, was killed in a shootout with law enforcement after crashing into a parked crane while officers were responding to the devastating scene.
The FBI said that multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were found near the attack site and stated they "do not believe Jabbar acted alone" in orchestrating the incident.
As a result of the tragedy, the Sugar Bowl, initially scheduled to take place in New Orleans on Wednesday, was postponed to Thursday.
