By Wade Cheek
CNI News Service
NEW ORLEANS — Pregame jubilation and anticipation was abruptly displaced with horror and safety concerns in New Orleans prior to the 91st Allstate Sugar Bowl as a pickup smashed through a city street filled with New Year's partiers, killing 15 and injuring others.
As federal, state and local emergency personnel worked the crash site of what has been reported as an intentional vehicular attack, others investigated multiple reports of improvised explosive devices. (IEDs)
With safety a chief concern, the Wednesday, Jan. 1, Sugar Bowl between 2nd-seeded Georgia and 7th-seeded Notre Dame was postponed to Thursday, Jan. 2, at 4 p.m. EST.
Game-goers tried to book another night's stay at New Orleans hotels, officials sought more answers and people in the “Big Easy” attempted to find calm in the midst of the unexpected turmoil.
Habersham County native and Chamber of Commerce member Sidney Roland was in New Orleans with family for the game.
The first collegiate start for former record-breaking Rabun County quarterback Gunner Stockton was put on hold for 18 hours as his Georgia teammates and the Irish confined themselves to their team hotels after the attack.
Panic and chaos ensued after a man intentionally drove a white pickup through a crowd of people on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 people while injuring dozens of others Wednesday morning around 3 a.m.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families as we work through this,” said Jeff Hundley, the chief executive officer of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. “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.”
Given that law enforcement at various levels are involved in an ongoing investigation, the postponement will allow for additional security resources to be implemented.
Four hundred officers were reported to have responded to the attack.
Sugar Bowl officials also announced the game will still be televised on ESPN with all tickets for the original date valid.
The attack was deemed an act of terror by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials.
The attacker was identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, of Texas, who was killed by authorities shortly after plowing through Bourbon Street.
The U.S.-born citizen was an Army veteran with an ISIS flag, guns and explosives in the truck.
FBI special agent Althea Duncan said in a news conference on Wednesday afternoon investigators “do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible.”
The conference included Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy.
This year’s College Football Playoff has sent teams, fans and media members around the country already, and it still has not reached the third round.
Traveling to cover the Bulldogs was the case for Lance McCurley, a football recruiting analyst for UGASports.com and sports editor at the Lake Oconee News.
McCurley claimed he was closing his tab at Pat O’Brien’s, a local bar in the French Quarter.
As McCurley was preparing to travel back to his hotel room, he heard six gunshots that were followed by three more.
“Time stood still,” McCurley said. “I had no idea what was going on. I couldn’t fathom.”
McCurley said there are two entrances/exits at the French Quarter’s Pat O’Brien’s, one on St. Peter Street and the other on Bourbon Street.
McCurley was exiting the one on St. Peter Street just before the incident and when he heard the chaos, he fled and fortunately returned to his hotel safely, still unaware of what truly happened.
It wasn’t until 7:30 a.m., when McCurley awoke to missed phone calls from his boss asking if he was OK, when he learned of the carnage.
While McCurley wasn’t one of the victims of Jabbar, he expressed his sadness for the victims, their families and disdain for the evil that happened on Wednesday morning.
“It was just surreal when I saw that. It’s hard to process that I was there and that I could have been a victim, but I’m not,” McCurley said. “God blessed me with a good gift this morning. I couldn’t fathom what these people are going through.
“I’ve called my dad three times today and I hope to call him two more times,” McCurley said.
The loss of life to an act of terror or violence to most cannot be comprehended, however, McCurley met someone who can and did.
McCurley took an Uber ride Wednesday, long after the incident. He would find out his driver was the aunt of a person who was at the Bourbon Street crash.
Upon getting into the vehicle, McCurley said he could tell she was upset. He wished her happy new year and that he hoped it has been a good day for her.
“She responded right away and said something along the lines of ‘not for me,’” McCurley recalled.
The driver then informed McCurley that her nephew was among those at the scene of the attack.
McCurley did not disclose the name of her nephew, who is a resident of Mobile, Ala., but acknowledged he was a “big Georgia fan.”
Soon after, the driver stopped and dropped McCurley and his friends off. McCurley then showed his support for the driver and her nephew.
“I walked up to her and said ‘well I’m going to give you my number and when, not if, Georgia wins (the Sugar Bowl) I’m going to get you some confetti,” McCurley recalled. “I want her nephew to be recognized, not because he is a Georgia fan but because he is a human being.”
This hasn’t been the New Year’s holiday that Georgia and Notre Dame fans expected, nor anyone else.
Blue lights and sirens continue to cover the city of New Orleans with authorities working to discover more information while protecting those going to the game and those who call New Orleans their home.