NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Sugar Bowl, an annual event, has been pushed back by one day due to a tragic incident. Early Wednesday morning, a devastating truck-ramming attack occurred on Bourbon Street, resulting in the loss of at least 15 lives and leaving many others wounded.
The individual believed to be responsible for the attack was fatally shot by law enforcement officers after reportedly firing at them with an assault rifle. This appalling incident is currently being investigated by the FBI and is being treated as an “act of terrorism.”
The tragic event took place at 3:15 a.m. local time, occurring just 16 hours before the scheduled match between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoffs at Caesars Superdome.
There were discussions Wednesday morning about possibly postponing or canceling the Sugar Bowl — a college football game played annually at New Orleans on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day since 1935 — due to the number of resources needed to secure the venue, according to sources briefed on the discussions.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told ABC News Wednesday afternoon that the game, set to kick off Jan. 1 at 7:45 p.m. CT, would be postponed by one day with an official announcement to follow.
Both schools issued statements, offering condolences to the victims and their families.
“We are horrified and saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day in New Orleans,” the University of Georgia wrote in a statement on X. “University personnel are working to determine if any UGA students, faculty, staff, alumni or fans were among the victims. We offer our deepest condolences to all the victims and their families, and we stand in solidarity with the New Orleans community.”
“Our prayers are with the family members and loved ones of all those impacted by the terrible attack in New Orleans early this morning,” the Rev. Robert A. Dowd, president of Notre Dame, said in a statement. “We also pray for all those injured and extend our deepest gratitude to the brave first responders who risked their lives to protect others. To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame. Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy.”
According to the New Orleans Police Department, the attack on Bourbon Street occurred as the department was “staffed 100%” for New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl.
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning,” Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said in a statement, according to ABC News local affiliate WJCL. “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.”
Former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial told ABC News’ Diane Macedo that he was confident law enforcement could ensure security for the Sugar Bowl and that the expense on people who traveled into town for the game had to be weighed.
“If there is thought to postpone the game for a day or two, one thing that is implicated is you have visitors from Georgia, visitors from Notre Dame, who are there, who have paid to come to New Orleans, who are staying at hotel rooms at some expense to themselves. You’ve got to weigh the impact on them, as well,” he said.
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