Heightened security expected at Sugar Bowl after New Orleans attack
New Orleans authorities are taking extra steps to ensure fans' safety at Thursday's Sugar Bowl matchup between Georgia and Notre Dame in the wake of the New Year's Day truck attack that killed 14 people and injured 35 others in the city's French Quarter.
The suspect, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was allegedly seen driving a Ford pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street at high speed, according to authorities. He then allegedly wielded an assault rifle and shot at police officers, law enforcement officials briefed on the incident told ABC News.
The officers returned fire, killing the suspect, according to police. At least two officers were injured in the incident, authorities noted.
The FBI has cleared Bourbon Street and authorities had the "confidence" to reopen it to the public ahead of the Sugar Bowl Thursday afternoon, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Thursday.
"I want to reassure the public that the city of New Orleans is not only ready for game day today, but we're ready to continue to host large-scale events in our city," she said.
The game, initially set for Wednesday, was postponed a day in the wake of the attack. It is set for kickoff at 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, and will see the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoffs at Caesars Superdome.
Security and bomb sniffing dogs were visible in and around the venue on Thursday, along with local police and FBI personnel.
In a media briefing, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry noted that the city is deploying some additional assets to ensure safety.
"I don't like to give specifics because I don't like to tell the enemy what we got, but I can tell you we're in better shape than we were before," he said.
Sugar Bowl Commissioner Jeff Hundley shared his condolences with the victims and their families in a press conference Wednesday.
"Any time we have a major event in the city of New Orleans, public safety is paramount," Hundley said. "We have full faith and confidence in the governor, the mayor and all the assets, the federal, state and local resources that they've applied to this event so that we can ultimately bring those responsible to justice."
