Church leader asks for prayers for victims of car attack

As Mass was celebrated Sunday at New Orleans' St. Louis Cathedral, just blocks from where a man sped down Bourbon Street in a deadly attack last week, a church leader acknowledged the sense of unease that remains and asked for prayers for victims and their families. "We can choose to fear," the Very Rev. Patrick Williams told those gathered. "Or we can choose to hope." Fourteen people were killed and about 30 were injured in the early New Year's Day attack. The attacker was fatally shot in a firefight with police. The youngest victim was 18 years old and the oldest 63. Most victims were in their 20s. They came from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey and Great Britain. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the innocent lives lost will never be forgotten as he declared a period of mourning for the victims that is scheduled to begin Monday. A different victim is to be remembered each day. "However, Louisiana and her people will never cower in fear," he said. "Instead, we will unite and come back stronger in honor of every person who lost their lives that day." LaTasha Polk LaTasha Polk, a nursing assistant and mother of a teenage boy, was the last victim in the attack to be identified, according to her family, who gathered at a vigil Saturday evening to light candles. They said the coroner's office informed them Saturday morning. They had been looking for her and were grateful for the closure. "It was the wrong call we got, but at least we got the call," said LaTasha Polk's cousin, Sebastian Polk. He said he was all out of tears by the time he arrived at the vigil to honor his cousin, whom he described being as close as a sister. The coroner did not specify the reason for the delay, her aunt Kim Polk said. "Every time you saw her she was smiling," said her cousin Courtney Polk, pressing her hands together in front of her face and holding back tears. "It's hard but we see all the love for her." Some of LaTasha's relatives held each other crying on the curb near a cross where they had placed candles for her and other victims. "Tasha, she was a loving person, and for her life to be taken away — unimaginable," Kim Polk said. "To wake up and have that taken from you." Edward Pettifer Thirty-one year old Edward Pettifer, a British citizen from London, was identified Saturday as one of the victims. He was the stepson of a former nanny to the Royal Family, and Prince William expressed shock and sadness at the news. Pettifer was the stepson of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who was the nanny for both William and his brother, Prince Harry, between 1993 and 1999, including time after the death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997. Pettifer's family said they were "devastated at the tragic news of Ed's death" and described him as "a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many." "We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack," the family added. The U.K.'s Foreign Office also said it was supporting Pettifer's family and was in contact with U.S. authorities. Brandon Taylor Brandon Taylor, 43, of Harvey, Louisiana, was killed in the attack. Elliot Wilkinson Elliot Wilkinson, 40, of Slidell, Louisiana, died in the New Year's Day attack. Cecil Wilkinson said in a message to his little brother, Elliot Wilkinson, on Facebook that he was loved "and you will truly be missed." "I know life was hard for you at times. But I wasn't expecting to get the phone call this morning you was one of them that got hit in New Orleans in the French Quarter," Wilkinson said in the post. Terrence "Terry" Kennedy After years working in the service industry and maintenance, New Orleans native Terrence Kennedy spent his retirement doing what he loved: strolling down to catch the ever-present party in the French Quarter. "Bourbon is like a free party," his niece, Monisha James, told The Associated Press. "He was enjoying his city that he enjoyed for 63 years." James said her uncle liked to people-watch around the French Quarter and often sparked conversations with strangers. "That was what he was doing to enjoy his retirement," she said. Kennedy had told his sister on New Year's Eve that he was going out. When he didn't answer the phone the next morning, the family spent a frantic day searching until the coroner confirmed he died in the attack. The family still doesn't know if he died from the car's impact or gunshot wounds; all they were told is that he was still alive when he got to the hospital. James, 43, described her uncle as a humble helper and a handyman. Whether it was fixing up a house or playing with his nieces and nephews, he was always eager to serve others. "Just a sweet, kind, loving, helpful person that would not harm anyone," James said. Sadly, illness had affected his family in recent years. Four of Kennedy's siblings died before him, including a sister who had passed away a month earlier. The violent nature of Kennedy's death stunned the family, on top of everything they've been through lately. Right now, said James, they're supporting each other. "That's such a shock to our family because never in a million years would you be able to tell me that's what happened to him," she said. Kennedy's younger sister Jacqueline Kennedy, 59, said her brother was known for his big heart and his love of sports. "My brother had a kind heart. He was loving and caring and giving and he loved the Pittsburgh Steelers," she said. William "Billy" DiMaio Billy DiMaio, 25, of Holmdel, New Jersey, was humble and gentled-hearted, so devoted to family that he had a tattoo featuring all of his cousins' names, his parents told NOLA.com. A New York City-based account executive for the media company Audacy, DiMaio was in New Orleans to celebrate New Year's Eve and see friends who planned to go to the Sugar Bowl, Tracie and Bill DiMaio, of Holmdel, New Jersey, told the news site. His friends escaped injury. "He was a good, humble kid," Bill DiMaio said. "He loved life." Billy DiMaio grew up on Long Island, New York, before the family moved to New Jersey. He graduated in 2022 from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he was on the lacrosse team and earned a master's degree. "He was a pure, gentle-hearted soul," his mother said. "He will be truly missed." He had worked for Audacy since 2023. "Beyond his professional achievements, Billy will be fondly remembered for his unwavering work ethic, positive attitude, and kindness," Audacy said in an emailed statement. Hubert Gauthreaux Hurbert Gauthreaux, 21, of Gretna, Louisiana, was among the victims, the coroner's office said. Archbishop Shaw High School, in Marrero, Louisiana, posted on Facebook that Gauthreaux was from the class of 2021. Gauthreaux "was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter. He was 21 years old," the Catholic boys school posted Wednesday. Kareem Badawi Kareem Badawi, 23, was a University of Alabama freshman when he was killed in the attack. A native of Louisiana and a graduate of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, Badawi had started at the Alabama university this fall. "My son was full of life," his father Belal Badawi said in an interview. Back home in Baton Rouge for winter break, Badawi had gone to New Orleans with friends to celebrate the new year, his father said. After they saw the news of the truck attack, they tried to reach Kareem, but he didn't answer. "Then I saw his phone when I tracked it was in the area that it happened," belal Badawi said. "So, then we knew that's something wrong. He's not answering. We drove to New Orleans. We live in Baton Rouge, we went to the hospital and we waited a few hours and the FBI came with the list of all the casualties." Badawi said he was a lovely boy. "I lost my son. He's a good boy," he said of his son. "Unfortunately, his life ended that quick and with no reason. Just nothing he did to deserve for somebody to come and kill him." Andrew "Drew" Dauphin Andrew Dauphin, 26, of Montgomery, Alabama, died in the attack. Christopher B. Roberts, president of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, said on the social platform X that Dauphin was 2023 graduate. "Words cannot convey the sorrow the Auburn Family feels for Drew's family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time," Roberts said. "Our thoughts are with the Dauphin family and the families of all the victims of this senseless tragedy." Dauphin was a supplier process engineer at the American Honda Motor Company in Birmingham, Alabama, according to his LinkedIn profile. Matthew Tenedorio Matthew Tenedorio, 25, of Picayune, Mississippi, was killed in the truck attack, the coroner's office said. His mother, Cathy Tenedorio, arrived early to a Saturday vigil in New Orleans with friends and family. She told The Associated Press that she was moved by the flood of condolences she had been receiving and the graciousness of strangers coming from all over to pay their respects. "Now we have to figure out how to live without him," said Tenedorio, her voice breaking. "He has a beautiful German shepherd that's looking for him, it's the saddest thing, he keeps coming up to me, like 'Where's Matthew? You smell like him but you're not him.'" A GoFundMe page created by a cousin says he was an audiovisual technician at the Superdome. "He was a wonderful kid," Louis Tenedorio added. "He loved people. He loved animals. He always had a smile. So many friends. He had so many friends." Nikyra Dedeaux Zion Parsons, of Gulfport, Mississippi, had been celebrating New Year's Eve at his first night on Bourbon Street when a vehicle appeared and plowed into his friend, Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, who he said had dreamed of becoming a nurse. "A truck hit the corner and comes barreling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air," Parsons told The Associated Press. "It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive." As the crowd scattered in the chaos Parsons ran through a gruesome aftermath of bleeding and maimed victims, hearing gunshots and explosive sounds. "Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and hollering" Parsons said. "People crying on the floor, like brain matter all over the ground. It was just insane, like the closest thing to a war zone that I've ever seen." Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start college and begin working towards her goal of becoming a registered nurse. "She had her mindset — she didn't have everything figured out but she had the plan laid down," Parsons said. Reggie Hunter A 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, Reggie Hunter had just left work and headed to celebrate New Year's with a cousin when the attack happened, his first cousin Shirell Jackson told Nola.com. Hunter died and his cousin was injured, Jackson said. The coroner's office said he was from Prairieville, Louisiana. Martin "Tiger" Bech Tiger Bech, a 27-year-old former high school and college football player from Louisiana was among those killed. Kim Broussard, athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, told NOLA.com that Bech attended the high school, where he played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and defensive back. Bech played football at Princeton University before graduating in 2021. Marty Cannon, STM principal and former coach of Bech, said he was charismatic, intelligent and an incredibly talented football player. He regularly returned home to visit his tight-knit family, close friends and people at the school. He was home over Christmas. "We live in a relatively small community here where not a lot of people leave but many do," Cannon said. "I'm not surprised at all that Tiger could take off from south Louisiana and go off and get an amazing education at a place like Princeton and then lock himself into a community up there and just flourish. He's that kind of guy." Bech has been working at Seaport Global. "He was extremely well regarded by everybody who knew him," said company spokesperson Lisa Lieberman. Nicole Perez Nicole Perez was a single mother to a 4-year-old son working hard to make life better for her family when she was killed, according to her employer. Perez, 27, was recently promoted to manager at Kimmy's Deli in Metairie, Louisiana, and "was really excited about it," deli owner Kimberly Usher said in an interview with the AP. Usher confirmed Perez's death through her sister, who also works for her. Usher said Perez would walk in the morning to the deli, which opened at breakfast time, and ask lots of questions about the business side of the operations. She also was permitted to bring her son, Melo, to work. "She was a really good mom," said Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Perez's burial costs and to help with expenses for her son that "he will need to transition into a new living situation," the donation request says. Injured in the attack — Heaven Sensky-Kirsch said her father, Jeremi Sensky, endured 10 hours of surgery for injuries that included two broken legs. He was taken off a ventilator Thursday. Jeremi Sensky was ejected from the wheelchair he was using and had bruises to his face and head, Sensky-Kirsch said in a phone interview from a hospital intensive care unit. "He's talking right now," Sensky-Kirsch said late Thursday morning. Sensky, 51, who works in the family's tree service business, had driven from his home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, to New Orleans to celebrate the holiday. Before the attack, Sensky and two friends had been having pizza, his daughter said. Sensky left them to return to his hotel on Canal Street because he felt cold, she said. Sensky-Kirsch said others could see the attacker coming and were able to run out of the way, but her father "was stuck on the road." His wheelchair can be seen in some images lodged against a crane. When he didn't return to the hotel, they went to look for him, she said. "We thought he was dead," Sensky-Kirsch said. "We can't believe he's alive." — Ryan Quigley, who was a teammate of Bech's at Princeton, was with him when they were struck by the truck. Quigley was injured, according to family and friends. "Ryan is doing okay. He is stable and resting in the company of his family and friends," the Quigleys said in an update on a GoFundMe page set up by his friends. "Ryan loves you all. Please keep the Bech family, the other families, and all of those affected by this tragedy in your prayers. Thank you all." — University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead said on X that a student was critically injured in the attack and is receiving medical treatment. He did not name the student. — The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X that two Israeli citizens were injured in the attack. — University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said Thursday that one of the university's students was critically injured in New Orleans. Boyce did not identify the student. ___ This story corrects the name of victim to LaTasha Polk, not Tasha Polk. ___ Sara Cline, Jack Brook Sharon Lurye in New Orleans, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, Travis Loller in Nashville and Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama contributed to this report. Bellisle reported from Seattle.