Locals staying one block from scene of New Orleans terror attack

"I've never seen Bourbon Street this quiet"

(NEW ORLEANS) – A group of Batesville residents are among those who saw the carnage from the New Orleans suspected terror attack firsthand.

Joe Chaffee, Luke Goldsmith and Curtis Davidson are Notre Dame fans who traveled to New Orleans ahead of the Sugar Bowl.

Chaffee says the trio went out on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve and returned to their hotel shortly after midnight. 

Their hotel is just one block from where the deadly incident took place. 

Around 3:15 a.m., a truck drove into the busy French Quarter area and it led to at least 10 people killed and 35 injured. 

The Batesville natives were woken by the sirens and the news of the deadly attacks. 

Chaffee has been to New Orleans several times. He walked to mass this morning at Jackson Square Cathedral around 8 a.m. and said the area has never looked like that before. 

“Usually when you are there, no matter the time of day you’ll find people walking along Bourbon Street. However, all I saw was police cars and news crews this morning and now there is nobody there, I have never seen it like this before,” he said.

The attack has led to the Sugar Bowl game being postponed until Thursday. The Batesville trio says they plan to spend another night in New Orleans to attend the game tomorrow.