Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has said he will attend the Sugar Bowl, a college football game played in New Orleans, on Thursday despite the vehicular attack that occurred in the city on New Year's Day and concerns from the state's attorney general.
Newsweek has contacted the offices of Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Early on January 1, a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year's on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 people and injuring 30. Due to the attack, the Sugar Bowl, which was originally scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, was postponed for the first time in its history.
There is debate among Louisiana officials as to whether the game should be postponed further as the FBI investigates the incident. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, was killed in a shootout with law enforcement and has been named the suspect in the attack. A key line of inquiry is whether the attack was orchestrated or inspired by a foreign terrorist group.
What To Know
The attack in New Orleans occurred around 4:15 a.m. in the French Quarter, one of the city's busiest areas, during New Year's celebrations. Four of the 15 deceased victims have been identified by their families: Reggie Hunter, Nikyra Dedeaux, Tiger Bech and Nicole Perez.
The New Orleans Police Department said the suspect opened fire on officers after the vehicle came to a stop. The suspect was driving a Ford pickup truck, which officials said was rented through the Turo app.
An ISIS flag, weapons and a potential improvised explosive device were found in the suspect's rented truck, the FBI said. Two additional IEDs were found on Wednesday morning. President Joe Biden, citing the FBI, said the suspect had posted videos on social media in connection with the terrorist organization ISIS "mere hours" before the attack.
Organizers of the Sugar Bowl said that in a joint decision involving the venue, Caesars Superdome, the event would be postponed, with "law enforcement assets that would typically be allocated to an event of this stature currently engaged in active investigations related to the incident." The Superdome was locked down for security sweeps on Wednesday morning.
"The decision that was made to postpone the game was not done lightly," Louisiana Representative Troy Carter, whose district includes New Orleans, said in a news conference. "It was done with one single thing in mind: public safety."
The state's attorney general told NBC News that Thursday was too early for the game to go on. Murrill added, however, that she believed "everyone is safe."
On Thursday, Landry told Fox News that the Superdome was "completely secure," as the FBI "continues to pour resources into the state."
"We need not let fear paralyze us," the governor said. "That's the problem in this country. When we do that, the terrorists win."
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill believes the New Orleans community is safe but thinks Thursday is too early for the Sugar Bowl.
"Not my decision but I would like to see it delayed at least another day. If they asked my opinion I would tell them that." pic.twitter.com/Vd7uU9H5u4
Who Was Shamsud-Din Jabbar
Jabbar, a Houston resident, was allegedly staying at an Airbnb, which burned down on Wednesday, about a mile and a half away from the attacks. Sources told Fox 8 that bomb-making materials were found at the rental property.
Jabbar enlisted in the Army in 2007 and worked in both human resources and information technology.
He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010. In 2015, he transferred into the U.S. Army Reserve, the service said in a statement. He left the military in July 2020 with the rank of staff sergeant. A former commander who oversaw Jabbar called him a "great soldier."
What People Are Saying
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said at a press briefing on Wednesday: "For those citizens out there who are thinking, 'Oh man, do I really want to go to the Sugar Bowl tomorrow?' I'll tell you one thing—your governor's gonna be there. That is proof, believe you me, that that facility and this city is safer today than it was yesterday."
Attorney General Liz Murrill told NBC News: "Not my decision, but I would like to see it delayed at least another day. If they asked my opinion, I would tell them that. I think that it was a wise decision to delay it at least a day. This is an active crime scene. They just finished removing some of the bodies, and they still haven't removed all of them. I still think that we need to probably wait an extra day."
Anne Kirkpatrick, the superintendent of the New Orleans Police, told the Today show: "We are going to have absolutely hundreds of officers and staff lining our streets, lining Bourbon Street, lining the French Quarter. We are staffing up at the same level, if not more so, than what we were preparing for the Super Bowl."
Jason Williams, the Orleans Parish district attorney, told CNN: "I think you're going to see everything change about large-scale events, what parking areas will be allowed in the Superdome, bomb-sniffing dogs being a part of everyday protocol getting into the Sugar Bowl. We're going to do everything we can to make sure the public is safe, that our visitors are safe and that this event that is important to Americans goes off safely. They didn't just attack my home. They attacked Americans."
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame's head coach, told ESPN: "We will mourn and pray for our country. We have support systems around here for anybody that needs someone to talk to or to have support. We also have to be prepared for this great opportunity that we have tomorrow at the Sugar Bowl."
Jeff Hundley, the chief executive officer of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, said in a statement: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families as we work through this. We have full faith and confidence in the governor and the mayor and all the federal, state, and local first-responders that they've applied to this horrific event.
"Any time we have an event like the Sugar Bowl, public safety is paramount, and all parties involved agree that could only be achieved with a postponement. Now we will move ahead to take care of the details to make the Sugar Bowl the first-class, fun, and safe event that it has been for over 90 years."
What Happens Next
The FBI is the lead agency investigating the attack. Anyone with information, photos or video is asked to contact the bureau. They can contact the agency by phone at 1-800- CALL-FBI or visit www.fbi.gov/bourbonstreetattack. They can also call the FBI's New Orleans office at 504-816-3000 or email tips@fbi.gov.
On Thursday, the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are scheduled to take on the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs at 4 p.m. at Caesars Superdome. The College Football Playoff is set to air on ESPN, with streaming for the event also available on Hulu and YouTube TV.
This will be the fourth-ever meeting between Georgia and the Fighting Irish, with the Bulldogs winning all three previous games. But Georgia will be missing starting quarterback Carson Beck, who could be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to an elbow injury.
Notre Dame is riding an 11-game winning streak and has faced fewer third downs than any team in the country this season. The spread has Georgia at -1.5, and the over/under is 44.5 points, according to BetMGM.
The winner advances to the January 9 Orange Bowl against Penn State.
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