The scene on Bourbon Street in downtown New Orleans is always chaotic on New Year’s Eve, but this year, it took on an entirely different feel when tragedy struck.
According to multiple reports, a man in a pickup truck drove into a large crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning, killing 10 people and injuring more than 30 others. The driver, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was fatally shot after the incident and is said to have been sporting military gear, weapons, and a possible IED in the vehicle.
While the city of New Orleans is mourning such a despicable act, its officials have to consider everything and make an impossible decision on what to do about the Sugar Bowl — the biggest annual event in NOLA.
Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley released a statement on Wednesday, saying that Sugar Bowl organizers are working with authorities ahead of the game.
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”
The Caesars Superdome was on lockdown for security sweeps following the incident, and while there hasn’t been any official announcement on what will happen, ESPN’s Pete Thamel says we are “waiting for official word on whether the Sugar Bowl is going to be played,” but notes that the game is “still scheduled for 8:45 eastern.”
The game is set to pit No. 7 Notre Dame (12-1) against No. 2 Georgia (11-2), with the Fighting Irish taking back over as a one-point favorite just hours ahead of the scheduled kickoff.
Update (1:43 p.m. CT)
At 1:30 p.m. CT, the Sugar Bowl Committee announced that tonight’s game has been postponed for 24 hours and will now be played on Thursday evening at 7:45 p.m. CT, as a result of the terrorist attack.
ESPN’s Laura Rutledge also reported that the Georgia football team is staying at their hotel in a “shelter-in-place” lockdown while officials gather more information.
