NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (KTRK) — A gaggle of Houston ISD college students, dad and mom, and employees who traveled to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl have all been accounted for and are secure, in accordance with the district.
The announcement comes after a suspect, recognized as Shamsud Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Houston, Texas, drove a truck via a crowd of individuals on Bourbon Avenue early Wednesday morning, killing a minimum of 15 folks and injuring dozens.
RELATED: New Orleans updates: 15 useless, dozens injured after car plows into crowd in ‘terrorist assault’
The Waltrip Excessive Faculty Ram Band shared the next assertion in a submit on Fb:
“Whereas we’re at the moment in New Orleans, none of our college students, chaperones, or employees have been within the neighborhood of the crash that occurred.
After attending the awards banquet at our resort and receiving our Sugar Bowl Sweepstakes Grand Championship, all of our college students have been of their rooms by 10:30 p.m.
We’re praying for all of these concerned within the assault.”
The band carried out within the 2025 Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade and scored first place within the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Discipline Present Competitors.
The band stated it’s following the protection procedures outlined by the town and the Sugar Bowl employees. The Sugar Bowl was postponed to Thursday evening.
HISD stated no college students have been close to Bourbon Avenue on the time of the assault.
Excursions and different scholar actions scheduled all through the day have been cancelled. In response to a band dad and mom, the scholars will load buses within the morning and return to highschool by Thursday afternoon.
“Our hearts are with the victims of this tragic incident and with the New Orleans group this morning,” HISD stated in an announcement launched Wednesday morning.
In the meantime, a Houston couple stated they have been within the French Quarter when the assault occurred. They have been asleep within the Royal Senesta Lodge when the automotive used within the assault crashed out close to the resort entrance doorways.
Laverne Thomas stated they acquired again to the resort round 12:30 a.m. and woke as much as evacuation calls round 4 a.m. They evacuated to a standard space and have been despatched again to mattress with out a lot data. It wasn’t till they wakened Wednesday morning that they discovered {that a} terrorist assault had occurred proper exterior their resort.
“To suppose we have been in that very same space after which 5 or 6 hours later, one thing like this tragically occurs. It is unbelievable. I simply maintain thanking God that we’re OK figuring out we have been that near a bomb,” Thomas stated.
It is no shock that the couple is trying out and shifting to a resort additional away. They advised ABC13 the big crime scene makes it exhausting to come back and go, they usually’re fairly spooked by the entire thing.
READ MORE: Truck pushed in lethal Bourbon Avenue assault was rented from Houston, sources affirm
Legislation enforcement officers stated the suspect was “hell-bent” on killing as many individuals as doable when he drove a rented pickup truck round barricades and plowed his car via a crowd of New 12 months’s revelers at a excessive price of pace.
After mowing down quite a few folks over a three-block stretch on the famed thoroughfare whereas firing photographs into the gang, the suspect allegedly acquired out of the truck wielding an assault rifle and opened hearth on law enforcement officials, regulation enforcement officers briefed on the incident advised ABC Information. Officers returned hearth, killing the suspect, sources stated. At the very least two law enforcement officials have been shot and wounded, authorities stated.
ABC13 beforehand reported on the Waltrip Excessive Faculty band’s journey to New Orleans to carry out on the Sugar Bowl.
Again in September 2024, HISD stated “no” to the journey as a result of directors did not really feel as if New Orleans was secure.
HISD officers finally modified their minds and allowed the band to journey.
After studying concerning the scenario, Houston Mayor John Whitmire provided an HPD escort for the journey. It is unclear if that finally occurred.
“I’ve no touch upon the continuing investigation. The Waltrip Excessive Faculty College students should not in hurt’s method and are safely returning to Houston,” Whitmire advised ABC13.
Nevertheless, Whitmire later posted on social media the next assertion:
“Houston stands in solidarity with the folks of New Orleans and our prayers are with the victims and their households following this morning’s tragic and mindless act of violence. I’ve been in common contact with the state and native officers, in addition to regulation enforcement management. The FBI, because the lead company on this federal investigation, has our full confidence and collaboration. The Houston Police Division is intently built-in with the FBI’s Houston workplace and Harris County Sheriff Gonzalez’s staff. Houston is able to deploy any resourced want to make sure the protection and safety of our communities.”
For extra information updates, observe Lileana Pearson on Fb, X and Instagram.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Waltrip HS band allowed to journey to carry out at Sugar Bowl after being denied by district
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