Malek said he wants Kareem to be remembered as the most-liked guy in the room, everyone’s favorite person. And judging by the turnout at his funeral, he certainly was. Malek was also in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve and said it all changed when Kareem’s brother asked for help to find him.

Badawi was a 2024 graduate of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge and had this fall started at UA, where he pledged to join the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Kareem Badawi, the University of Alabama student killed in the New Orleans terrorist attack, was laid to rest Friday as his father heartbreakingly recalled how excited his son was to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Big Easy with his pals.