Sports
Police: Sugar Bowl to go on after truck attack kills 10, injures 35 in New Orleans
The Sugar Bowl will go on as scheduled Wednesday night as the police investigation continues into a truck attack that killed 10 people and injured 35 others on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick of the New Orleans Police Department said that police will work to ensure the safety of those attending the College Football Playoff game Wednesday night between Georgia and Notre Dame at Caesars Superdome, which is less than 10 miles from Bourbon Street.
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning,” said Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley in a statement. “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.”
Caesars Superdome will also host Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. CT when the suspect drove a vehicle at high speed into a crowd of people celebrating the new year. The suspect was killed after exiting the truck and engaging in a firefight with police.
Officials said that the man was armed with an assault rifle and was allegedly firing a gun as he drove through the crowd.
“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others,” the FBI said in a statement. “The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
Kickoff time for Georgia and Notre Dame is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET.