Conditions have been improving for 40-year-old Elliot Wilkinson, one of 14 people killed in New Orleans this week in a terror attack that federal authorities are investigating.
Wilkinson is out of jail and homeless, but has begun looking for an apartment, according to United Greater New Orleans, a local homeless outreach group. According to his brother Cecil Wilkinson, he returned to one of his favorite places.
“That’s where he wanted to go when he got out, so he went,” the brother said. “He loved that city.”
In the early hours of New Year’s Day, a Texas man drove a pickup truck into the city’s French Quarter, and a large crowd gathered on Bourbon Street to celebrate. Fourteen people died and dozens were injured, including two police officers injured in a shootout that killed the driver.
Bourbon Street’s bars, live music, and crowds draw an active and diverse crowd that includes tourists, street performers, and the down-on-your-luck homeless. On a holiday night, it attracted a group of young people. Many of the victims were in their teens and 20s.
The city released the names of 12 of the 14 victims Friday night. All died from blunt force injuries, according to the emailed release. London’s Metropolitan Police identified the 13th victim as a British citizen: Edward Pettifer, 31.
As their names were revealed this week, friends and family mourned a bright future cut short. Some are just starting college or a new job. On Friday, people gathered around flowers and candles placed along the route of the truck. President Joe Biden plans to visit Monday and meet with families of the victims and others affected.
Among the victims was Drew Dauphin, 26, who came to the city from Alabama with his brother Matthew. They separated after going to a concert and eating some pizza. Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, told his family he had planned to watch the fireworks along the river. That morning, they checked the location of his phone and discovered it had been moved to Bourbon Street.
Matthew Tenedorio, 25, was out with friends after having dinner with his parents. People remember his childhood carousing with his cousins, pranks and fights with Nerf guns.
Kareem Badawi and Ni’Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux are only 18 years old. I am in my first semester of study at the University of Malaya, majoring in mechanical engineering.
Ms. Dedo is from Gulfport, Mississippi.
Violence tears families and friends apart. Nicole Perez, 27, had just been promoted at the deli where she worked. She leaves behind a 4-year-old son. Two cousins, Reggie Hunter, 37, and Kevin Curry, 38, came to the city to celebrate the New Year together. Mr Hunter died and Mr Curry was hospitalized with a broken leg.
Jack, the brother of deceased former college football player Tiger Bech, posted a tribute to him on social media: “Love you forever bro!”
Some of the victims, like Mr. Wilkinson, had longstanding ties to New Orleans. Terrence Kennedy, 63, was a lifelong resident of the city and the son of nine siblings, according to Monisha James, one of Terrence Kennedy’s nieces one. She said that since he had no children of his own, he was always ready to take care of his family’s children. At family gatherings, he watches for plates to be cleared and drinks to be refilled.
Ms. James said that while many locals avoid the area except for work or shows, Mr. Kennedy enjoys people-watching and hanging out outside a store on Bourbon Street. The family believes this is what drew him to the streets on New Year’s Eve.
“He died doing what he loved,” she said.
Brandon Taylor, 43, is a restaurant chef and rapper. He often drives more than an hour from his home south of New Orleans to visit his fiancée, Heather Genusa, who lives near Baton Rouge. Ms. Genusa, 38, recalled that they spoke on the phone for about six months before meeting in person in early 2023.
“I said once we meet, all the stars will align,” she said. “They did it. They really did it.
The couple plans to move in together next month.
According to the city’s coroner, William Dimaio, 25, from New Jersey, was also among the victims.
Cecil Wilkinson said he had hoped to introduce his daughter to Elliott but had not yet had the chance.
“We love each other,” he said. “We always looked out for each other when we were young.”
Nicholas Bogle Burroughs Contributed reporting. Christine Noyce and Jack Begg Contributed research.
