in view of Deadly attack on a crowd of people reveling on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's DayWednesday night's College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame in the Superdome will go on as planned, police indicated.
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said police officers would work to ensure security at the event, suggesting the Sugar Bowl would be held at 7:45 p.m. central time.
The Sugar Bowl Committee said in a statement that it was “devastated by the terrible events of this morning,” and said it was in continuing discussions with authorities.
In a statement, the University of Notre Dame said it was “working with law enforcement and others to determine the full scope and impact of the tragedy.”
Notre Dame also asked fans to “join us in prayer for those injured and lost in this senseless act of violence.”
“Those staying at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel are welcome to join us for the pre-scheduled mass at 11 a.m. Otherwise, we ask that you stay wherever you are,” the university said in a statement earlier on Thursday. “Join us in prayer from there.” Twitter.
The University of Georgia released its own statement on social media.
“We are horrified and saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred in the early hours of the New Year in New Orleans. University personnel are working to determine if the victims include any UGA students, faculty, staff, alumni or fans. “We have our deepest condolences to all of the victims and their families and stand in solidarity with the New Orleans community,” the statement said.
The FBI said portions of Bourbon Street from Canal Street to St. Anne's were closed in the wake of the attack.
“There's so much to enjoy in New Orleans … making sure our routes and the Superdome are safe for games today,” Kirkpatrick said. “We had this tragic incident happen to us, and we're sorry once again to everyone in our community, but we want you to enjoy the day, just stay away from Bourbon.”
A man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street At around 3:15 a.m., 10 people died and at least 35 others were sent to hospital. The FBI said the driver was killed in a shootout with police.
“This guy was trying to run over as many people as he could,” Kirkpatrick said, adding that two police officers were hit by gunfire but are in stable condition. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that a long gun was recovered from the scene.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell described it as a possible “terrorist attack” and the FBI said in a news release that they were investigating it “as an act of terrorism.”