BREAKING: Sugar Bowl Releases Statement on Mass Casualty Event on Bourbon Street
Real Georgia Fans Don’t Miss the Dawg Post Newsletter - Sign up now!
NEW ORLEANS - The Sugar Bowl released an official statement Wednesday morning on the mass casualty event on Bourbon Street New Year's morning.
“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.”
New Orleans' police commissioner said Wednesday morning that the UGA-Notre Dame game would continue as planned, ESPN reported.
Initial reports were that ten were killed and dozens were injured including police officers when a suspected terrorist plowed into Bourbon Street, which is the primary tourist destination in New Orleans. New Orleans police asked that the public stay away from Bourbon Street Wednesday morning. New Orleans police said the act was intentional. The FBI said it was investigating the event as an act of terror.
"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 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.”
Officials prevented the public from entering Bourbon Street for eight blocks from Dumaine to Canal.
“Our prayers are with everyone involved in this horrific event, and we are here to support them in any way possible,” UGA AD Josh Brooks said in a statement. “As a native Louisianian, I know how special this place is. The people of New Orleans and this entire community are resilient and will remain strong during this time of healing.”
Alonzo Knox, a Louisiana state representative told WGNO Wednesday that 15 people had been killed in the attack.
"It is an act of pure evil," Knox told WGNO.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a 8:45 EST kickoff at the Superdome, which is only blocks away from the event. The game is the fourth quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff. The winner of the game will take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl next week in Miami.