The Superdome has been locked down for security sweeps as officials continue to debate whether to postpone tonight’s Sugar Bowl.
The stadium in New Orleans is set to host a College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame on Wednesday night, but the game was plunged into chaos after after a truck plowed into a New Year’s crowd about a mile away, killing 15 people and injuring more than 30.
People with offices in the Superdome — including officials with the Sugar Bowl and Sun Belt Conference — were told not to come into work until further notice, per AP.
However, there was no immediate word that the game, scheduled to kick off at 7:45 p.m local time (8:45pm ET), might be delayed, after police had earlier insisted that the game would go ahead as planned.
‘The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning,’ Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said. ‘We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.’
A person familiar with the situation said there was no immediate indication that the game would be delayed but that officials were waiting to get an all-clear from authorities that it would be safe to keep the event at the 70,000-seat stadium on schedule.
Security officials are sweeping the Superdome as they weigh up a Sugar Bowl decision
At least 10 people died after a driver rammed into the large group at high speed in New Orleans
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive and fluid nature of the discussions with authorities.
The casualties occurred when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day.
The driver was killed in a firefight with police following the attack at about 3:15 a.m. along Bourbon Street near Canal Street, the FBI said.
He was later named by NOLA.com as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, an American resident born in Texas.
Marcus Freeman and his Notre Dame players are at their hotel awaiting further news
The Ford electric vehicle was owned by another 42-year-old man from Houston, Texas. The truck had reportedly been rented out on Turo, and police are in contact with the owner who listed it for rent.
The gunman was killed by police after he slammed a truck into pedestrians celebrating the New Year, exited the vehicle, and started firing.
Authorities investigating the ‘mass casualty incident’ say the driver showed ‘very intentional behavior’ after driving into crowds in the city’s French Quarter before they got out and fired a weapon.
He also appeared to be flying an ISIS flag on the back of the truck, and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan said officials were investigating at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene.
Dozens of police officers responded to what authorities declared a ‘mass casualty event’
The Georgia and Notre football teams arrived in New Orleans on Sunday and have been staying at downtown hotels just blocks away from where the violence occurred.
The Superdome, which is about 20 blocks away, also is scheduled to host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno told WDSU-TV: ‘What you’ll see today for the Sugar Bowl, which will go on, is that the perimeter for security around the Superdome has been extended to be a larger zone.’
‘So expect obviously extra security. There are more police officers who are coming in.’
