The Sugar Bowl has officially been postponed for 24 hours following a terrorist attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
The game, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal between No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame, won’t be played until Thursday night after initially being scheduled for New Year’s Day at 8:45 p.m. ET.
During a law enforcement news conference, Sugar Bowl officials say ESPN, the Southeastern Conference and both schools “all agreed” to postpone the game for 24 hours to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Law enforcement officials — including the FBI — are investigating the high-casualty event as a terrorist attack after 15 people were killed and at least 30 injured in the early morning hours Wednesday.
This comes after initial reports from the New Orleans Police Department indicated the match would go ahead as planned.
Police said they would monitor the area to ensure the game was played safely, while Sugar Bowl officials indicated they were in contact with authorities.
The Sugar Bowl, played Wednesday night between Notre Dame and Georgia, has been postponed for 24 hours in the wake of a terrorist attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events that occurred early this morning,” Jeff Hundley, CEO of the Sugar Bowl Committee, said in a statement earlier Wednesday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities at the local, state and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”
Per ESPN’s Laura Rutledgethe Georgian football team has been sheltering in place. In a statement, says Notre Dame all team personnel are accounted for.
Authorities shut down the Caesars Superdome to sweep it for safety reasons, with the attack occurring about ten blocks from the stadium at the intersection of Bourbon Street and Canal Street.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said at a news conference that the Superdome and surrounding area are “safe.”
The attack comes weeks before the city is set to host Super Bowl LIX and has heightened security fears ahead of that event.
In the wake of the tragedy, athletes from the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans paid tribute to those who died in the violence.
At least fifteen people were killed after a driver rammed into the large group at high speed in New Orleans
Shamsud Din Jabbar (pictured), 42, has been identified as the driver who slaughtered pedestrians
A white Ford truck drove through the busy intersection, a popular tourist destination in the city, and “deliberately” crashed into people around 3:15 a.m. local time.
A shootout then ensued involving the vehicle’s driver and police officers, leading to the suspect’s death.
Officials in New Orleans say the suspect has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas.
They also say the truck Din Jabbar was driving may have been rented and an ISIS flag was found on the truck’s tow bar.
Police have recovered a pistol, an AR-style rifle and bombs from the bloody scene.
Officials say two improvised explosive devices have been found in the area and have been “made safe” as they continue to search for other bombs.
Authorities believe that Din Jabbar was not solely responsible for this attack and are asking the public for help if they have recently interacted with him.