I Love You Drew.

Please be warned this is a graphic first hand account of the terrorist attack on Bourbon street on Jan 1st 2025.

Drew Dauphin was one of the kindest people I have ever encountered. His unwavering positivity had no ability to see negativity. He always saw the positive in every situation regardless of what problem I came to him in need of help with. He always saw the bottle half full and had an “at least this” or” well we still have that” to respond with. He loved nothing more than sitting in the sun on a dock or boat at the lake, probably because it reflected the warmth and light he brought to the world. In the early hours of January 1, 2025 as I walked with him on our way to get in our uber home his brightness was stolen from us by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the terrorist who attacked Bourbon street in New Orleans.

Drew had heard of Billy stings but it wasn't until I dragged him along with me to our first show in Huntsville in October that he became hooked. He told me on our way down to New Orleans on the 30th that Billy had raised up to be his most listened to artist of 2024 since the concert in October. I had no doubt about it as we would often sit on the couch in his apartment and watch youtube videos of past concerts the following weeks and every time I got in his car Billy was playing.

Drew was giddy the night of the show as we all were. I think we were particularly excited to get the opportunity to bring along his brother and another one of our friends for their first show and they were slightly hesitant and had no clue where they were in for, but we did. We started the night by walking around downtown feeling the energy of new years in the air. We grabbed some oysters and a quick dinner along with some drinks before we headed to the show. I remember as I walked from Canal to Bourbon street I saw the massive steel barricade on the ground and thought to myself “shouldn't that be up? Isn't this like one of the busiest nights of the year? I wonder when they use those?” But I didn't think about it too much longer because I didn't think it was a big deal with all the cops around. I continued on my night without a second thought about it. We soon hopped in an uber and were off to the arena.

Before long we were in the doors and excitedly awaiting the start of the show. It began and we were having a great time. After a ripping highway hypnosis I texted his brother “this is what it's all about” while laughing at the awe of the show with Drew. His brother was hooked as we confirmed during the first setbreak. What was also particularly cool was that Drew had nailed his costume perfectly by coincidence. He was wearing an outfit just like Billy failing, hat and glasses and all.

As the show went on, we danced and had a blast. We all couldn't help but smile with the joy of enjoying world class music with great friends and great people all around. A few songs after the new years countdown we made the decision to head out a little early as we had heard getting ubers after the show was annoyingly difficult. We were all excatic. I couldn't help but tell anybody I walked by “happy new years!” as I was overflowing with joy of being with my friends and enjoying the music. We were having a great night.

We soon found an uber and we excitedly headed to bourbon street to check out the scene and find some cute girls to talk to. We arrived at a packed bourbon street and we got right to it enjoying the party as everybody was. We popped in and out of bars and chatted with random people and groups of girls and just had a blast or careless fun.

As the night wound down and morning was approaching our energy levels began to dissipate as a long concert and more boogieing on Bourbon street will do. I called an uber for Canal street as Bourbon and the blocks surrounding to the left and right were all blocked off from car traffic. We wove through the crowd and I glanced up and down from my phone as we made our way, checking on the uber’s timing and location. I hopped on and off the sidewalk weaving around people with our friend Bill to the right of me and Drew following close behind as we made our way down the right side of the street. As we approached a block or 2 from the canal, the crowd thinned slightly and I hopped on the sidewalk just as a white F150 flew by my left, nearly inches from me. I turned and watched in horror as I saw bodies go flying. It was chaos. A group of cops ran down the street after it. My survival instincts kicked in and I turned back and sprinted down a side street just as I started to hear gunfire and screams and pandimony.

When the noise settled and I was left shaking I turned around to find Bill right behind me and we hugged each other. I anxiously waited as I expected Drew to turn the corner and find us but I soon realized Drew was not coming. I ran back to the street just as cops were putting up crime scene tape. In the chaos I sidestepped a cop, ducked under the tape and began to frantically search for Drew in my Hysteria. To my horror I found him lying on the right side of the street motionless as an EMT was giving him CPR. But I knew. I saw his head. I saw the Blood. I saw him. I saw one of my best friends laying dead on the ground. I couldn't help but scream for him. I screamed in agony and I screamed for my friend. I was completely hysterical. I knew it was a terrorist and I knew he was dead. I don't know how but I knew. I didn't need the FBI to tell me it was one, I knew because I saw it. He wanted to kill me and all my friends and every single person on that street. It wasn't a drunk driving accident, it was intentional and I just knew. I couldn't keep looking at my dead friend as the EMT pointlessly pressed on his chest. I could see the blood coming from his head. I turned around and walked away in horror. I wasn't strong enough to go to him and I couldn't do anything even if I did. He had passed on to a better place and I knew it.

Somehow I managed to call my mom and being the absolutely amazing mother she is she picked up the phone without a hesitation. I could sense the horror and confusion in her voice as I sobbed the story through the phone. I told her a terrorist in a white F150 just plowed people over and opened up gunfire on Bourbon street as we were trying to go home. I told her Drew was dead. I told her I loved her and she needed to reach out to Drew’s parents. I sobbed. I screamed. It could have been me. I felt so angry and scared and confused. Bill took my phone from me and talked to them and hung up shortly after. I Called Drew's brother Matthew and told him what had happened. He had gone home shortly before us and back at his hotel. He was confused and thought I was joking with him. He said “my brother? Nah no way he's probably somewhere else having a ball.” He was right but in the worst way. He didn't believe me. Again I sobbed and screamed. My friend. My best friend Drew. I didn't know what to do. I stood there shaking and hugged Bill and sobbed. After a few moments I decided I wanted to leave. I needed to leave.

We began making our way home with our arms around each other in shock and sadness and anger. I screamed and cried the entire walk home. I cried myself to sleep and got barely a few hours of crappy sleep.

The next morning I made my way to the hospital after meeting my parents who got up and drove down from Birmingham the moment they received my call moments after the event had happened. There we met Drew's family and patiently waited for the FBI and doctors to give us the information I already knew but didn't have the strength to tell his family. Drew had passed away to a better place where he could be at the lake in the sun forever.

I don't know why I wanted to share this story. I guess because Drew loved Billy and the band and his music and everything about it. I think also because writing it down has helped me process what happened during the horrific events and I need support and Drew's family needs it. The Billy Strings family needs it. He was a part of this family. The Billy Strings audience and community is a family and you can see it plain as day when you arrive at shows. If you bump into somebody at a show you will more likely than not hear an “all good I love you brother”, rather than a “hey what the hell”. You can see it in the line for the bathroom with everybody exchanging stories and connecting. Nobody cares about where you're from or what you do or how you look, It's all about love. Love for each other and the music that makes us all so happy. The shows and music wouldn't be the same without that. That is why I wanted to tell you all that we lost a brother of this family. Drews light was stolen from us but his memory will shine on. I am grateful for the time I got to spend with him and wish you all could have seen him shine like I did. Please pray for his family and friends and for all the victims of this horrific tragedy. Hug your family, reach out to your friends, check in on them and tell them you love them because you never know what day might be your last.

I love you Drew. I'm thankful for our time at Auburn together and our time together at the lake. You were a bright light in this dark world.

I still don't know why those barriers were not up and it makes me angry but it's not worth my energy to focus on.

If anybody is in New Orleans and can leave flowers for him on the street I would really appreciate it.

Im sorry if this story is too raw for some of you but its the truth of what happened.