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'It's really shocking': Alabama students react to one of their own killed in New Orleans
One of the victims of the deadly New Orleans terror attack was a student at the University of Alabama. Kareem Badawi was a freshman at UA and had only spent a semester on campus.Badawi was from Baton Rouge and graduated from high school in 2024. He was also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity at UA.Classes don't resume until next week, so not many students are in town around New Year's Day. But WVTM 13 did get to speak to some narching band members.They said they were in that exact spot on Bourbon Street two years ago when Alabama played in the Sugar Bowl, so to find out a fellow student was killed in an attack there was devastating.“It's kind of scary because we do all these parades as a band," sophomore Isaac Crawford said. "You know, I’m in the Million Dollar Band here. And just the fact that a car can get through where there's so many people around, there could have been band members that were there. So, it's really shocking to hear that. Like, somebody could just come speeding through there and just hurt a lot of people.”Kareem Badawi's father posted on social media about the death of his son.“It is with great sadness and grief, and with hearts satisfied with Allah’s decision and destiny, I announce the death of my son, Karim Bilal Badawi, who died early today in the morning as a result of a tragic accident in New Orleans,” his father, Belal Badawi, posted on Facebook. “We ask Allah Almighty to shower his mercy on him, and give us patience and strength.”Badawi just graduated last May from The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, which released a statement saying in part, “We are deeply saddened to share that alumnus Parker Vidrine '24 was critically injured and is hospitalized, and alumnus Kareem Badawi '24 tragically passed away as a result of the attack.”The school was holding a closed vigil in Baton Rouge on Thursday night.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. —
One of the victims of the deadly New Orleans terror attack was a student at the University of Alabama. Kareem Badawi was a freshman at UA and had only spent a semester on campus.
Badawi was from Baton Rouge and graduated from high school in 2024. He was also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity at UA.
Classes don't resume until next week, so not many students are in town around New Year's Day. But WVTM 13 did get to speak to some narching band members.
They said they were in that exact spot on Bourbon Street two years ago when Alabama played in the Sugar Bowl, so to find out a fellow student was killed in an attack there was devastating.
“It's kind of scary because we do all these parades as a band," sophomore Isaac Crawford said. "You know, I’m in the Million Dollar Band here. And just the fact that a car can get through where there's so many people around, there could have been band members that were there. So, it's really shocking to hear that. Like, somebody could just come speeding through there and just hurt a lot of people.”
Kareem Badawi's father posted on social media about the death of his son.
“It is with great sadness and grief, and with hearts satisfied with Allah’s decision and destiny, I announce the death of my son, Karim Bilal Badawi, who died early today in the morning as a result of a tragic accident in New Orleans,” his father, Belal Badawi, posted on Facebook. “We ask Allah Almighty to shower his mercy on him, and give us patience and strength.”
Badawi just graduated last May from The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, which released a statement saying in part, “We are deeply saddened to share that alumnus Parker Vidrine '24 was critically injured and is hospitalized, and alumnus Kareem Badawi '24 tragically passed away as a result of the attack.”
The school was holding a closed vigil in Baton Rouge on Thursday night.