In the wake of a deadly New Year’s Day attack on a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New OrleansPolice said Wednesday evening that the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame at the Superdome will go on as planned.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said police officers would work to ensure safety during the event, suggesting the Sugar Bowl will be held as scheduled at 7:45 p.m. Central Time.
The Sugar Bowl committee said in a statement that it is “devastated by the terrible events that occurred early this morning,” and said it is in ongoing discussions with authorities.
In a statement, the University of Notre Dame said it was “working with law enforcement and others to determine the full extent and impact of the tragedy.”
Notre Dame also asked fans to “join us in praying for those injured and lost in this senseless act of violence.”
“Those staying at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel are welcome to attend the previously scheduled Mass there at 11 a.m. Otherwise, we ask you to join us in prayer wherever you are,” the university said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The University of Georgia released its own statement on social media.
“We are shocked and saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day in New Orleans. University staff are trying to determine if any UGA students, faculty, staff, alumni or fans were among the victims. “extend our deepest condolences to all victims and their families, and we stand in solidarity with the New Orleans community,” the statement read.
Parts of Bourbon Street were closed from Canal Street to St. Anne in the aftermath of the attack, the FBI said.
“There’s so much to love about New Orleans… making sure our routes and the Superdome are safe for today’s game,” Kirkpatrick said. “We have experienced this tragic event and once again we are sorry to everyone in our community, but we do want you to continue throughout the day and simply stay away from Bourbon.”
A man deliberately drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m., killing 10 people and sending at least 35 others to hospital. According to the FBI, the driver was killed in a shootout with police.
“This guy tried to run over as many people as he could,” Kirkpatrick said, adding that two police officers were struck by gunfire but were in stable condition. A long gun was recovered at the scene, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell called it a likely “terrorist attack,” and the FBI said in a news release that they are investigating the attack “as an act of terrorism.”