The Sugar Bowl, initially slated for New Year's Day, has been deferred to Thursday after a tragic vehicle ramming incident in New Orleans' French Quarter led to at least 15 deaths. The college football playoff game between Georgia and Notre Dame will now occur at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Caesars Superdome, according to KSAT.
New Orleans district attorney Jason Williams informed CBS's WWL-TV of the postponement, citing consultations with ESPN, the College Football Playoff, the Southeastern Conference, and the participating schools. The rescheduling is a response to law enforcement's need to secure the area and ensure public safety following the attack, authorities dealing with, the immediate aftermath of an act of terror.
District Attorney Williams's decision came after a truck plowed into revelers on Bourbon Street in the wee hours of New Year's Day, an incident that the FBI is investigating as a potential terrorist act, as stated by KSAT. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, died following a firefight with police.
"This man was trying to run over as many people as he could," New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told CBS News, highlighting the horrifying intent behind the attack. In addition to the casualties, a University of Georgia student was critically injured and is currently receiving medical treatment, as confirmed by University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead.
In response to the incident, heightened security measures have been announced for other college football playoff venues. Atlanta Police Department has increased its officer deployment before the Peach Bowl, while Pasadena has also bolstered security for the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl, according to statements provided to the media.
