JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New Year’s Eve in New Orleans started as a night of celebration for Tyson Lassen, a lifelong Georgia Bulldogs fan.
Lassen, president of the Georgia Bulldog Club of Jacksonville, was just minutes away from tragedy. He, his wife, and his sister had been celebrating just feet from where a driver intentionally rammed into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring dozens.
Recommended Videos
“We were on a balcony right above where it happened, for about four hours. So I might not have been on the street, but I would have been, you know, on the balcony, overhead,” Lassen recalled.
RELATED | FBI says driver in New Orleans rampage acted alone, was ‘100%’ inspired by Islamic State group | An aspiring nurse, a football star, a single mother and a father of 2 killed in New Orleans attack
Lassen said he left the area 15 minutes before what police are calling an act of terrorism.
“They really had a ton of police presence. Everything seemed fine. I was out till about 2:45 a.m. with my wife and sister,” Lassen said. “I decided that it’s been a long day. I went back to the hotel, and then in the morning, my phone was just blowing up.”
When asked how it felt looking back, Lassen said the decision to head back was out of character for him.
“It’s definitely not like me. I like to stay out and have a good time, especially when I’m in a city like New Orleans,” Lassen admitted.
Lassen said the French Quarter, usually bustling with life, took on an eerie quiet in the aftermath.
“It kind of felt like when COVID shut everything down,” Lassen said, describing the atmosphere as somber and subdued. “I think that people have a little bit more pep in their step today with, you know, the game happening.”
With over 700 members in the Georgia Bulldog Club of Jacksonville, Lassen said fans were still showing up in full force for the Sugar Bowl.
“I’ve checked in with them, they’re all safe, thank God. Dawgs travel in herds,” Lassen said.
Despite the recent events, Lassen said he feels confident in the security measures taken for game day.
And as someone who once donned the Bulldog mascot suit himself, Lassen is no stranger to leading chants and cheering on his team.
“I feel very safe. I feel like there’s going to be, you know, extensive security,” he said.
MORE | New Orleans barriers to prevent vehicle attacks were in the process of being replaced | What is the Islamic State group and what attacks has it inspired?
After the game, Lassen plans to make the eight-hour drive back to Jacksonville, aiming to arrive by 5 a.m. — just in time for work.
“It’ll be a long drive, but if the Bulldogs win, it’ll all be worth it,” Lassen said.
By Thursday, a still-reeling city was inching back toward normal operations. Authorities finished processing the scene early in the morning, removing the last of the bodies, and Bourbon Street officially reopened later in the day.