The Sugar Bowl showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will still be played Wednesday night despite a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street that killed 10 people and injured at least 35, according to ESPN. New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Fitzpatrick said there will be heightened security at the Superdome for the college football playoff matchup, and the Sugar Bowl Committee released a statement on the tragedy.
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”
The horrific attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. local time as people engaged in New Year’s celebrations deep into the night. A man drove through the crowd in a white truck and allegedly also opened fire with a gun. He was ultimately shot and killed by police when he got out of his truck.
The FBI released a statement Wednesday morning and is labeling the attack “an act of terrorism” as part of its investigation. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell also called it a “terrorist attack.” There reportedly was at least one suspected improvised explosive device found in the area.
The Sugar Bowl is scheduled to begin at 7:45 local time on Wednesday night. Georgia is the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff and earned a bye. Notre Dame took down Indiana in the first round to set up this quarterfinal matchup in New Orleans.
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