Sugar Bowl Set to Kick Off in New Orleans a Mile Away from Attack That Left 10 Dead

Mar. 15, 2025

Police cordon off the intersection of Canal Street and Bourbon Street.Photo:MATTHEW HINTON/AFP via Getty

MATTHEW HINTON/AFP via Getty

Hours after a man drove a truck into crowds of New Year’s revelers down Bourbon Street, ultimately killing 10 people and wounding at least 35 others, the Sugar Bowl at the New Orleans Superdome is set to continue as scheduled.

The college football game — which pits Georgia against Notre Dame this year — will take place on Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m., hours after a truck drove into crowds of New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street at a high rate of speed.

The incident took place in New Orleans' French Quarter, located less than a mile from the Superdome.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In a Wednesday morning press conference, Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the situation was “complex and serious,” adding that the suspect “fired on our officers from his vehicle when he crashed his vehicle.”

Kirkpatrick added that the Sugar Bowl is set to continue.

“There’s much to enjoy about New Orleans and we are going to make sure that our routes and the Superdome are safe today for the game. And yeah, we had this tragic event and we’re sorry to everyone in our community, but we do want you to go about the day. As we say, just stay away from Bourbon,” she said.

Alethea Duncan, assistant special agent in charge for the FBI’s New Orleans office, said during the press conference that improvised explosive devices were found, “and we are working on confirming if this is a viable device or not,” she added.

source: people.com