Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux Death – Among the ten lives tragically lost in the New Year’s Day Bourbon Street terror attack was 18-year-old Nikyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, a bright and ambitious nursing student from Gulfport, Mississippi.
Cheyenne had traveled to New Orleans with her cousin and a friend to ring in the New Year, a celebration that turned into an unimaginable tragedy.
Her mother, overwhelmed with grief, confirmed that Cheyenne was one of the victims struck and killed when a truck, driven by a suspect identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street.
A recent graduate of Harrison Central High School’s Class of 2024, Cheyenne had been preparing for her next chapter. She was set to begin a nursing program at Blue Cliff College on January 13, inspired by her mother’s footsteps in the nursing profession.
Cheyenne was remembered as a young woman full of promise and compassion, with a heart for helping others. Her untimely death has left her family, friends, and the Gulfport community devastated.
This senseless act of violence has shocked the nation and reignited conversations about public safety at large gatherings. As her family mourns an irreplaceable loss, Cheyenne’s legacy of kindness and ambition will continue to shine brightly in the memories of those who knew her.