A heartbroken mother, who told her daughter to stay home, is grieving the loss of her baby girl following the New Orleans truck attack during a New Year’s Eve celebration.
Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, 18, was one of the 14 victims murdered in the city’s French Quarter in the early hours of January 1 at around 3am CST.
While her mother Melissa Dedeaux, 40, “pleaded” with her not to go, the high school graduate snuck out from her home in Lyman to attend the festivities, bringing along her cousin and their friend Zion Parsons, who is also 18.
Highlights
- 18-year-old Nikyra Dedeaux, an aspiring nurse, was tragically killed in the New Orleans truck attack on New Year's Day.
- Nikyra's mother warned her not to go out, but the high school graduate snuck out of her home.
- The attack was deliberate, and police described the attacker as 'hell-bent on carnage.'
- Zion, a friend of Nikyra's, narrowly escaped and witnessed the horrifying scene.
A mother "pleaded" with her daughter not to go out on New Year's Eve
Image credits: Melissa Dedeaux
Melissa had a few heartbreaking words to share following the death of her child, as reported by Daily Mail.
“When your parents say don’t go anywhere please listen to them,” she wrote. “This was an act of terrorism and now my baby is gone, y’all.. my baby is gone, she is no longer with us.
“I lost my baby just pray for me and my family pleaseeeeeee!!! God I need you now!!”
Nikyra was lovingly described by her mother as a bright, aspiring nurse who “never got into trouble.”
Image credits: Melissa Dedeaux
Tragedy struck on New Year’s Day when Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, rammed his car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street. CCTV footage captured a white, Ford F-150 Lightning vehicle driving on the pavement to avoid police cars before crashing into pedestrians.
Authorities described the attack as “very intentional” with Shamsud “hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.”
While the 42-year-old was killed by police gunfire, the aftermath he left was devastating.
Zion, who was able to duck into a brick doorway and escape impact, described the brutal scene he witnessed.
“Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and hollering,” he 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.”
The attack was "very intentional," as described by police
Image credits: Melissa Dedeaux
After the attack, he first saw Nikyra on her back with her leg twisted above her head and tried to make his way to her before authorities ordered him back.
Zion desperately made calls to local hospitals after he was forced to leave, hoping she had been taken in and was only wounded, but wasn’t able to get any information.
His worst fears were confirmed when he checked her location tracker to see that it was still on Bourbon Street.
“If I was a little bit quicker, I could’ve stopped it,” Zion said. “I haven’t had the time to cry. It’s just so crazy.”
Image credits: Melissa Dedeaux
But a moment that will stay with him forever was when he made the heartbreaking call to Nikyra’s mother, informing her that her daughter was dead, he told NOLA.
He said to Melissa that he’d last seen the 18-year-old lying on the ground with her eyes closed.
“Did they cover her up with a sheet, Zion?” the 40-year-old asked.
“Yeah,” was his reply. “What does that mean?”
The line then went silent before the grieving mom began to cry.
Nikyra was last seen lying on the ground by her friend
Image credits: IntelPointAlert
“It’s different from the movies. It’s real people,” Zion continued. “People don’t talk about what that does to your brain.”
It was later confirmed that Nikyra’s cousin survived without any injuries.
Netizens are praying Nikyra's mother "finds peace"
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