The festive atmosphere surrounding the New Year’s holiday and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans was silenced by tragedy early Wednesday morning as at least 10 people were killed and more than 30 people were injured when a man drove a pickup truck into a large crowd on Bourbon Street.
Police confirmed to USA TODAY that the driver was fatally shot by police.
The incident happened around 3:15 a.m., according to the city’s emergency responders, a little over 16 hours before the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Georgia Bulldogs were scheduled to kick off in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Caesars Superdome less than a mile away.
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday morning the Sugar Bowl game will be played as scheduled.
Tournament of Roses and Pasadena city officials have offered their condolences to the people of New Orleans as they look to reassure the public today’s Rose Bowl events will be safe.
“The Tournament of Roses and the City of Pasadena extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans following this morning’s tragic events,” the officials said in a statement.
“We stand in solidarity with the entire state during this difficult time.
“The City of Pasadena undergoes months of preparations leading up to the Parade and Game in coordination with our Federal, State, County and Local partners. We continually train throughout the year with our Tournament of Roses and Rose Bowl Stadium partners for various scenarios.”
Both schools participating in the Sugar Bowl issued statements on social media Wednesday morning.
“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,” said a statement from the University of Georgia. “University personnel are working to determine if any UGA students, faculty, staff, alumni or fans were among the victims.”
Meanwhile, Notre Dame said it was “working with law enforcement and others to determine the full scope and impact of the tragedy.”
The school also announced that a previously scheduled Mass at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel will be held at 11 a.m. and asked those fans not in the area to “join us in prayer from wherever you are.”
NEW ORLEANS — Eric Iacovazzi from Concord, N.C., was surveying the scene outside the Crowne Plaza Astor Hotel, which is located on Canal Street at Bourbon Street. He was among thousands of Bulldogs fans who traveled to this city for the game.
Yellow police tape was hanging and police cars were parked inside and outside that area, some with lights flashing and with officers standing nearby. An Orleans Parrish coroner van was also parked.
“Crazy,” said Iacovazzi, wearing a Georgia cap and hoodie.
Iacovazzi’s hotel was not evacuated, but others in the area were. Iacovazzi’s daughter, a University of Georgia senior, is with him on the trip. She woke him up to tell him about what happened.
“She woke up and heard all that noise, but she didn’t know what happened,” he said. “Her grandparents were calling her all night wondering if we were OK.”
Former Georgia tight end Leonard Pope was sitting in the lobby of the Sheraton New Orleans, across the street from the Marriott.
Pope woke up to the news after going to a concert by rapper Juvenile on New Year’s Eve and then bought some pralines and came back to his room.
“We’re praying for their families and hoping things can get together real soon,” said Pope, who played in the NFL for seven seasons including with the Cardinals and Chiefs. “We’re here supporting the Bulldogs and down here just visiting family as well.”
– Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald
In New Orleans to cover tonight’s Sugar Bowl, South Bend Tribune reporter Tom Noie was stunned to see flashing lights and emergency vehicles outside his hotel room window before sunrise.
“On a day of football, of new beginnings, of hope, there is only tragedy,” Noie writes. “Sad. Senseless. People lost their lives down there. Others who were down there last night woke up this morning in area hospitals, many possibly fighting to see the rest of 2025 and beyond.”
Now, Noie continues, the all-important playoff game seems much less important.
“The sight of all those squad cars, all those blue lights flashing quietly in the pre-dawn hours, leaves you shaken. How might Notre Dame’s offensive line handle Georgia’s defense? Will quarterback Riley Leonard make as many plays with his right arm as with his feet?
“None of that matters.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) appeared on CNN on Wednesday morning and was asked about tonight’s game.
“Extremely confident,” Cassidy told CNN when asked if the Sugar Bowl would be played later in the evening. “The standard operating procedure for a big game like the Sugar Bowl, for a Saints game, for the Super Bowl is to go through the building, make sure there’s nothing there that’s wrong, and then to lock it down. The Sugar Bowl, the Superdome has been locked down. There is going to be no problem there.”
“The Sugar Bowl is huge. Lots of people will be watching,” Juliette Kayyem, a former top U.S. Department of Homeland Security official, told CNN. “It should go on. The police department has lots of resources to draw on. It can protect the investigation and also draw on other local and state resources to protect people going to the bowl.”
She added: “This is the way that big cities have to work. Unfortunately, we want to provide what might even be security theater at this stage, lots and lots of law enforcement presence to make the city and people attending understand that they are safe, to stop anyone who might want to copycat at this stage, and then you let the investigation and the mourning continue simultaneously. It’s just the nature of how these things happen is that you have both these horrible incidences, and then you have to prepare for the next big event. And this is when we’ve seen in prior instances as well.”
Less than 12 hours before kickoff, Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley released a statement Wednesday morning in which he expressed sympathy for victims and their families and added: “We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”
Coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will meet coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl for the right to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Notre Dame earned a 27-17 victory over in-state rival Indiana at home to earn a spot in the quarterfinal round.
Quarterback Riley Leonard has completed 217 of 325 pass attempts this season for 2,293 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. Leonard also rushed for 751 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Irish. Running back Jeremiyah Love had 142 carries for 1,057 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
Georgia did not play last week after beating Texas to win the SEC Championship game on Dec. 7. For being one of the four highest-ranked conference champions, the Bulldogs earned a first-round bye.
Starting quarterback Carson Beck will not play for the Bulldogs after having surgery for an elbow injury. He declared for the NFL draft on Saturday.
Gunner Stockton is expected to start against Notre Dame. Stockton completed 12 of 16 pass attempts for 71 yards and an interception after replacing Beck in the SEC title game. Running back Trevor Etienne rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns to help lead Georgia’s offensive attack.
Here’s what you need to know for the Sugar Bowl:
The Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs kicks off at 8:45 p.m. at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
The Sugar Bowl game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Live streaming is available on Fubo, which has a free trial.
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