The Sugar Bowl featuring Notre Dame and Georgia will be postponed until 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, to allow for security enhancements/extra protection after last night’s deadly terror attack in New Orleans.
At least 15 people are dead and dozens injured after a driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans on Wednesday, days after the vehicle was spotted crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas.
The driver reportedly jumped out of the vehicle and opened fire on police after hitting the crowd. The brief shootout ended with the suspect dead at the scene, authorities confirmed. Police say 35 people have been transported to five hospitals across the city after suffering injuries from the attack.
The suspect has been identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
Jabbar is a 42-year-old resident of Houston, Texas. Police shot and killed him after he crashed his pickup truck and began to shoot at officers.
A Glock handgun and .308 caliber rifle equipped with optics and a sensor were recovered from the crime scene, according to a high-level source familiar who was not authorized to discus details of the investigation publicly.
An ISIS flag was also found on the pickup truck.
There are at least four to five other suspects involved, the source said.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell declared the incident a “terrorist attack” in a Wednesday morning briefing, and FBI agents also confirmed that they are investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.
Police say two officers were injured in the attack, but both remain in stable condition. It is unclear whether they were injured by the vehicle or during the shootout.
The University of Notre Dame has released the following statement as the football team is slated to play in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Wednesday night:
“We are aware of the incident this morning in New Orleans and are working with law enforcement and others to determine the full scope and impact of the tragedy.
The public is urged to avoid Bourbon Street north from Canal to Dumaine Streets and also east from Royal Street to Dauphine Street until further notice as the investigation is ongoing.
We ask our fans to join us in prayer for those injured and lost in this senseless act of violence. Those staying at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel are welcome to join us for the previously scheduled Mass there. Otherwise, we ask that you join us in prayer from wherever you are.” – University of Notre Dame
President-elect Trump also addressed the attack in a statement, vowing to help authorities to investigate the attack after he takes office.
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true. The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!” Trump said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that the FBI is investigating the incident as a terrorist attack.
