The Sugar Bowl won’t take place today, despite New Orleans police officials initially confirming that the Sugar Bowl was due to go ahead following a “terror attack” in the city on New Year’s Eve.
The college football showpiece was set to take place at Caesar’s Super Dome on Jan. 1. No. 2 Georgia and No. 5 Notre Dame are in the contest – which will take place just two miles from the French Quarter, where the attack took place only hours before.
Ten people were killed in the incident, with 30 injured, after an individual “intentionally” drove a car through a crowd of people on the city’s Bourbon Street at 3:15am local time. The FBI later stated that they are treating the events as an “act of terrorism”, with an investigation into the incident having been launched.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick initially confirmed that the Sugar Bowl will go ahead saying: “We are going to make sure that our routes and the Superdome are safe today for the game, and yet, we had this tragic event, and we’re sorry again to everyone in our community.”
Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley also issued a statement as he expressed his sorrow at the news of the incident on Bourbon Street. He issued a tribute to those killed in the attack, saying: “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 Atlanta Police Department also released a statement confirming they are boosting security for the Peach Bowl game also taking place today. It read: “In light of todays development and as an added precaution, specialized units and additional personnel will be further deployed to the Downtown and Midtown areas to ensure the continued safety and security of residents and visitors Our thoughts and prayers are with the City of New Orleans and the NOPD.”
Previous to this, Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy insisted that the New Orleans is “prepared” as it prepares to host a number of high profile sports and entertainment events. He said: “We have lots of events: Mardi Gras, Super Bowls Super Bowls coming up Final Fours, you name it, Taylor Swift concerts.
“And so there is a standard protocol that works, that works,” he continued, as he issued a defiant message following the incident. “And so I am very confident that the medical crews across the city were prepared and that the people are receiving all the care they need.”
In addition, the White House confirmed that President Joe Biden is being briefed on the investigation into the attack. A statement from officials read: “The FBI is already on the ground supporting local law enforcement in the investigation and the President will continue to be briefed throughout the day.”
According to CNN, the suspect in the attack is dead, with New Orleans Police Superintendent Kirkpatrick having confirmed the belief of the authorities that the individual had not driven through the crowd accidentally. She also stated that the suspect fired at two police officers and had been driving a “a very fast pace.”
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