LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne and her partner, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, were in New Orleans celebrating New Year's Eve with friends just hours before a devastating incident unfolded on Bourbon Street. A Texas man drove a pickup truck into a crowd, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries in what authorities are calling an act of terrorism.
Dunne shared several images on social media indicating the couple's presence in the city before the tragic event. They were accompanied by Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler and his girlfriend.
One of Dunne's Instagram Stories showed Bourbon Street decorated with Georgia flags in anticipation of the Sugar Bowl. She later added a broken heart emoji to a subsequent post but has not publicly commented on the attack.
The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, died at the scene after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement. An ISIS flag and potential explosive devices were found in his vehicle, prompting an FBI investigation into potential terrorist ties. While initially authorities suspected other individuals might be involved, the FBI later clarified they believe Jabbar acted alone.
The tragic incident led to the postponement of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame, which was rescheduled for the following day with an earlier kickoff time.
