NJ town to honor New Orleans terror attack victim

☑️ Two people were killed and 2 injured with connections to New Jersey

☑️ Holmdel and the state of Louisiana will remember victim Billy DiMaio Friday

☑️ The two injured in the attack are recovering

HOLMDEL — A Monmouth County township will honor a victim of the New Orleans terror attack on Friday with two moments of silence.

William "Billy" DiMaio, 25, died while celebrating the arrival of the new year in the French Quarter with friends when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran drove his truck into a dense crowd of revelers. 14 people were killed in the attack and 30 injured.

DiMaio was one of four victims with connections to New Jersey.

The first moment of silence will be at 8 a.m. in Holmdel public schools followed by an observation by town hall employees at 9 a.m.  The state of Louisiana will also observe a moment of silence. Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered flags to fly at half-staff on Friday.

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Upstanding member of community

Holmdel Mayor Brian Foster said DiMaio gave back to the community by volunteering with the high school lacrosse team and as a youth sports coach.

“Billy embodied what this community is about. He volunteered his time and gave back to the high school lacrosse program ever since he graduated high school, in particular helping to coach the youth programs and the off-season indoor team. This is a huge loss for our community and my thoughts and prayers go out to Billy’s family and friends," Foster said.

DiMaio was a 2017 graduate of Holmdel High School and a 2022 graduate of Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill College. He played lacrosse for both schools.

He was close to his brother, sister and parents who were described as the "cornerstone of his life" in his obituary.

"Billy’s love extended far beyond his immediate family. His 16 cousins held a special place in his heart—so much so that he had their initials tattooed near his heart as a testament to their bond. His aunts, uncles, and extended family felt the strength of his love, and he cherished them deeply.

Visitation for DiMaio is 2 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Evergreen Memorial Funeral Home in Middletown. His funeral is Thursday at St. Catharines Church in Holmdel.

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New Jersey connections

Three others with New Jersey connections were also killed or injured in the attack.

KILLED ▶ Former Princeton University football player Martin "Tiger" Bech died from his injuries at a hospital several hours after the incident. His funeral was on Tuesday in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Donations are being accepted for the Tiger Bech Memorial Fund to benefit the Community Foundation of Acadiana, a Louisiana charity that "builds legacies and improves communities by connecting generous people to the causes they care about."AP25007111669666siana charity that "builds legacies and improves communities by connecting generous people to the causes they care about."

INJURED ▶ Ryan Quigley was with his friend and former teammate Bech when he was injured after being struck by the pickup, according to a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $79,000 to assist both families.

The Montgomery County, Pa, native was listed as a pallbearer for Bech's funeral.

INJURED ▶ Ocean City native Adam Coste suffered serious injuries to his lower extremities in the attack. He is a U.S. Army veteran who works at The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy in New Orleans.

His family in a statement said it is appreciative for the support for his recovery and deeply appreciative of the love and care received by the family.

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