A graduate of a Philadelphia college was one of the 14 people killed in the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
NBC10 confirmed one of the victims was 25-year-old Billy DiMaio of Holmdel, New Jersey. DiMaio was a graduate of Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. The college described him as a “star student” and “top athlete” who was the captain of the school’s championship Lacrosse team in 2022.
“We are devastated by the news of the passing of our alumnus Billy DiMaio '22,” a school spokesperson wrote. “Billy was a leader within our community who shined not only as a star student in the classroom, but also as a top athlete, serving as a Captain on our 2022 championship Lacrosse team. Our prayers are with the entire DiMaio family at this tragic hour, as our entire College reflects upon the positive impact he had upon so many in our close community.”
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Other victims of the attack include an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two, and Tiger Bech, a former Princeton University football player.
NBC10 spoke with Bech’s sister, Virginia Bech, on Thursday. She told NBC10 that her bond with her brother was so strong that she moved from Louisiana to Philadelphia in order to be closer to him when he started playing football at Princeton. She said her brother lived his life to the fullest in 2024, running with the bulls in Spain, traveling to Egypt, completing an Iron Man competition and getting his dream job as a junior bond trader.
The family also confirmed Bech’s friend and fellow Princeton football teammate, Ryan Quigley, was injured in the attack. Quigley was also a graduate of Lansdale Catholic High School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in 2016.
Virginia Bech said her brother and Quigley developed a quick bond after meeting at Princeton and were roommates in New York City. They worked together at Seaport Global on Wall Street and did everything together, including fishing and duck hunting, which they did hours before the attack. She said Quigley is so close to her family that he’s included in their group chat. She also said her family will continue to support him as he recovers.
Investigators said Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran and Texas resident, intentionally drove into a group of New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the early morning hours of Jan. 1. Jabbar was later killed during a firefight with responding police officers.
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While investigators initially believed Jabbar worked with others in the attack, they later determined he acted alone and was inspired by the Islamic State Group. The FBI also said Jabbar posted five videos on his Facebook account hours before the attack and claimed his support for ISIS while previewing the violence he would soon unleash.
The attack was the deadliest IS-inspired assault on U.S. soil in years.
