A Tiger In Every Way: Former Loomis Chaffee Star Killed In New Orleans

WINDSOR, CT — A former two-sport athlete at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor has been identified as one of more than a dozen people killed when a U.S. Army veteran drove his pickup truck into a crowd of holiday revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Eve.

Martin "Tiger" Bech, a Louisiana native who played football and lacrosse at the prestigious prep school in 2015-16 as a postgraduate student, went on to become an all-Ivy League football player at Princeton University.

Princeton head football coach Bob Surace said of Bech, "He was a 'Tiger' in every way - a ferocious competitor with endless energy, a beloved teammate and a caring friend."

Bech, 27, played at Princeton, whose nickname is ironically the Tigers, from 2016-18. He earned two all-league honors as a return specialist, including second-team accolades in 2018 during the program's first perfect season since 1964. He totaled 53 receptions for 825 yards and three touchdowns during his college career.

He worked as a stockbroker in New York, and was visiting New Orleans for the holidays.

"Our last conversation was about how proud I was of the growth he showed during his time at Princeton and the success he was having after graduation," Surace said. "My love goes to the entire Bech family."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking at the crime as a possible act of terrorism. The driver, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had an Islamic State jihadist flag displayed on the back of the Ford F-150. In addition, the Houston resident had posted five videos on his Facebook account between 1:29 a.m. and 3:02 a.m., while driving from Texas to New Orleans. In the videos, he talked about the Islamic State, his divorce and his desire to kill his family.

The attack took place around 3:15 a.m. Fourteen people, including Bech, were killed in the attack; Jabbar, 42, died during a shoot-out with police.

This story includes reporting from Patch editor Sarah Salvadore and the Associated Press.