Christian school graduate among dead in New Orleans attack
A graduate of a school associated with Churches of Christ is among those killed in a New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.
Drew Dauphin had just left a concert, members of his family said, and was walking on Bourbon Street at about 3:15 a.m. when an attacker drove a pickup truck into crowds of pedestrians. Fourteen people, including Dauphin, died, and more than 30 others suffered injuries.
“It’s unbelievable. Who should have to come up with words for this? Our family is suffering more than anyone can imagine,” the Dauphin family said in a statement.
“It’s unbelievable. Who should have to come up with words for this? Our family is suffering more than anyone can imagine.”
Dauphin, 26, was a 2016 graduate of Alabama Christian Academy. The Montgomery school has about 950 students enrolled in grades pre-K through 12 and is a member of the National Christian School Association, an accrediting group associated with Churches of Christ.
“The ACA family mourns with the Dauphin family in the loss of their son, Drew, a beloved part of the ACA community and graduate of 2016,” school officials said.
Dauphin was “a beloved part of the ACA community,” school officials said in a statement.
“Drew is remembered as a friend, leader, and key part of ACA’s baseball and football programs,” the officials said. “Our hearts are heavy as we share in the grief of this loss with the Dauphin family and Drew’s many friends and classmates.”
The school’s property adjoins the campus of Faulkner University, which once shared facilities with the school. Members of Churches of Christ in Alabama who knew Dauphin and his family expressed grief and asked for prayers.
“Such a good man,” said Rhonda Zorn Fernandez, a member of The Christian Chronicle’s board of trustees. “He was a friend to so many at Faulkner. He had an outgoing personality. He impacted others in a way that you never forget. Drew was a leader and loved by many.”
Federal police walk past Galatoire’s Restaurant on New Orleans’ historic Bourbon Street on Thursday, Jan. 2. Officials had closed the street after a New Year’s Day terrorist attack.
After graduating from Alabama Christian Academy, Dauphin earned a degree from Auburn University, graduating in 2023. He worked for Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Talladega County.
The driver of the truck, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was a Texas native and U.S. Army veteran. He died in a firefight with police, who found explosive devices and an Islamic State flag in the truck.
ERIK TRYGGESTAD is President and CEO of The Christian Chronicle. Contact [email protected]. Follow him on X @eriktryggestad.
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