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Live updates: New Orleans attacker acted alone in ‘evil act’ that killed 14; rampage was ‘100% inspired by ISIS,’ authorities say

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Live updates: New Orleans attacker acted alone in ‘evil act’ that killed 14; rampage was ‘100% inspired by ISIS,’ authorities say

Darrell Huckaby, 72, was in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl with friends and family — a group consisting of generations of University of Georgia grads.

Huckaby said his crew went to sleep at their hotel — on the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets — shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day. When he woke up the next morning, his phone was flooded with text messages asking whether he was OK.

“I wondered what in the world there was to be OK from,” he told NBC News. And then he looked out the window. He said the street below was full of police cars.

“I could see seven bodies still laying in the in the street right outside my window,” he said. The bodies were covered in pink blankets, he recalled.

“We were just heartsick,” Huckaby said.

He said the vibe in the city was less boisterous than is typical for New Orleans — especially on the day of a bowl game. He and some family members had to leave before today’s rescheduled Sugar Bowl because of scheduling conflicts, but others chose to stay.

“Our plane was full of Notre Dame and Georgia fans that were very sad to have to be leaving the city without watching the football game,” Huckaby said.

Regardless, he was confident in the city and the security it put in place for the game.

“I know that the Superdome probably be the safest place in in the country tonight, and I have all confidence that people will get to go to the game and get home safely,” Huckaby said.

“New Orleans is a tough old broad. She’s been through a lot, and she’ll bounce back from this,” he said. He added: “It’s more about the resilience of Americans, and I think both teams will be playing with a different mindset tonight.”

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