The N.F.L has reassured fans that Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans will be a “safe and enjoyable” experience after an apparent terror attack in the historic city early Wednesday morning killed at least 10 people and injured dozens.
Tragedy struck in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day when a driver plowed through a crowd on Bourbon Street in what the FBI is actively investigating as an “act of terrorism.”
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies are on scene on Bourbon Street after at least ten people were killed when a person reportedly drove into a crowd in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, January 1, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
The attack raised security concerns throughout the city college football officials to postpone the Sugar Bowl, which was scheduled to take place later that evening at the Superdome, less than a mile away from the crime scene.
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The Superdome will also host the Super Bowl on February 9.
The league released a statement in the wake of Wednesday’s tragedy to express its condolences to the victims and their families and to reassure fans of its commitment to ensuring their safety for the big game in just over a month .
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the devastating incident in New Orleans. Our thoughts are with the victims, the New Orleans community and all those affected,” the statement said.
“The NFL and the local host committee have worked with local, state and federal agencies over the past two years and developed comprehensive safety plans. These planning sessions will continue, as they do at all major NFL events, and we are confident participants will. have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience.”
Super Bowl LIX merchandise seen during Mardi Gras World on October 15, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s)
Officials postpone sugar bowl after apparent terror attack on Bourbon Street
In the aftermath of the attack, questions were asked of officials about the safety of pedestrians and tourists, especially when it comes to the use of bollards.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell told reporters at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that hosting the Super Bowl allowed the city to work on a bollard replacement program in its infrastructure package, hoping to have it completed well before the game.
“The bollards were not up because they were almost completed, with the expectation that they would obviously be completed by the Super Bowl, long before the Super Bowl.”
A general aerial view of the exterior of Caesars Superdome, Sunday, December 15, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
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Officials acknowledge that the previously installed bollards were not functioning properly, prompting the urgency to replace them.
“We recognize we have a problem here, right? We’re going to solve it,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said Wednesday.
“It will be a top priority as we go into the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, and a solution that we will come up with will be a permanent solution, will be put into standard operating procedure. of organizing major events and securing that quarter.”
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