A 19-year-old San Diego State University student named Steele Idelson was one of the individuals wounded in the tragic New Orleans truck attack, as confirmed by the California school to USA TODAY on Thursday.
Law enforcement authorities are currently investigating numerous leads related to the attack, which claimed the lives of 14 individuals and left at least 35 others injured in the early hours of New Year’s Day on Wednesday. The identities of the victims are gradually being disclosed.
San Diego State University verified that Idelson was among those injured in the incident; however, a spokesperson for the university declined to provide further details. Idelson, originally from the Fort Myers area in southern Florida, sustained critical injuries alongside her childhood friend, 19-year-old Elle Eisele, according to the Fort Myers News-Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
Florida Senator Rick Scott took to Facebook to express his support, stating, “I ask every Florida family to join Ann and me in praying for the quick recovery of Steele Idelson, Elle Eisele, and all injured in the evil attack in New Orleans.”
A truck cleaning Bourbon Street in the French Quarter on January 2, 2025, following the terrorist attack on January 1.
Both Idelson and Eisele graduated from the Canterbury School in Fort Myers, Florida, in 2023. Eisele shared an Instagram post in May 2023 featuring the two friends at a beach wearing college merchandise, pleading with San Diego State University not to “take her away from me.”
The Canterbury School released a statement after the attack, conveying gratitude from the families of both teenagers for the overwhelming support and offers of assistance. The statement also extended appreciation to the first responders for their prompt actions, potentially saving the lives of the two girls.
The University of Georgia, where Eisele is enrolled, issued a statement confirming her critical injuries and receipt of medical treatment. The condition of Idelson was being looked into by USA TODAY.
Among the victims who lost their lives in the attack were 25-year-old audiovisual technician Matthew Tenedorio, 28-year-old former Princeton University football player Martin “Tiger” Bech, and 27-year-old mother Nicole Perez.
The perpetrator of the attack was identified as 42-year-old military veteran and U.S. citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who resided in Houston. Law enforcement officers shot Jabbar at the scene. Deputy Assistant FBI Director Christopher Raia characterized the incident as a premeditated “act of terrorism.” Jabbar had purportedly claimed allegiance to the Islamic terrorist group ISIS in videos posted hours before the attack.
Contributions to this report were made by Mary Walrath-Holdridge of USA TODAY and Dave Osborn of the Fort Myers News-Press.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: “San Diego State student among victims injured in New Orleans attack.”
