JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The New Orleans attack has many people unnerved about going to a large event, especially with a big college football game here in Jacksonville, on Thursday.
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Tens of thousands of fans are expected to be at EverBank Stadium for the 80th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, and police are already working to prevent any violence.
Duke and Ole Miss will be battling it out, and nothing is stopping Jeremy Teets and his son, Henderson, from watching the game.
They are major Duke fans with tattoos to prove it. They came from North Carolina to watch the game.
They say they are confident in the security measures that will be taken.
“I’m not really worried about it,” Henderson said. “I mean, there’s a lot of things that could happen, but hopefully you know the police and everything will keep everything safe.”
The attack in New Orleans killed more than 10 people and injured many others. The FBI is investigating it as a terrorist attack, which ultimately postponed the sugar bowl there. While the attack is unrelated to the game, law enforcement here has taken notice.
“I can tell you right now, you’ve got a layered security plan,” law and safety expert Cooper White said.
White is a former law enforcement officer who trained in counter-terrorism. He said because of the layers of security an NFL stadium brings along with local and state agencies, Thursday’s security will be top-notch.
“I’m not saying a terrorist attack couldn’t happen, but I would not have any compunction of going to the game tomorrow,” White said. “You’re surrounded by a lot of professionals and a lot of them you won’t even see or know they’re there.”
For others, like Brian Layfield, who is visiting from Kingsland, Georgia, he said he won’t let an attack scare him from living his life.
“People have large gatherings everyday,” Layfield said. “And the number of attacks that we’ve had versus the number of large gatherings, that’s a very small percentage. I play the math, that what I would do, so I still would go.”
One big piece of security that’s always here at Everbank Stadium are the 700 lb steel barriers designed to stop a motor vehicle from plowing through. The suspect in New Orleans took advantage of some barricades being down, but these barricades are up, making sure cars can’t get through.
City of Jacksonville Statement:
Our local, state, and federal partners prepare year round for planned and unplanned events. They’ve been collaborating closely for the Gator Bowl and have the necessary measures in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for fans.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Statement:
We are aware of and continue to monitor the situation in New Orleans. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, along with its local, state and federal partners continually prepare for planned as well as unplanned events - the Tax Slayer Gator Bowl is no exception. We are collaborating with stake holders and are taking necessary measures to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for those in attendance.
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