The two visited friends in the area and even bought tickets to the Allstate Sugar Bowl, scheduled for New Year’s Day at Caesar’s Superdome in downtown New Orleans.
“We actually went to the New Year’s Eve party on Jackson Square, which is in the French Quarter,” said Pearson. “We were enjoying the event, enjoying the people.”
The mother and daughter left the party around 2 a.m., walked to their hotel room a few blocks away and slept. As the pair rested for the evening, chaos erupted not too far from their room.
Authorities report that a man, later identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a car into a crowd at around 3 a.m. Wednesday, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more. The FBI identified the man as a former Army veteran and Texas resident.
Local, state and federal investigators arrived at the scene searching for answers.
Pearson and her daughter told WCPO they slept through it, not knowing what transpired until Wednesday morning.
“We did not hear any commotion, we did not hear anything,” Pearson said. “I received a frantic call from a relative in Cincinnati.”
The mother said she was stunned, shocked and saddened by the violence: “It’s just horrific, it’s just sad.”
Pearson described the scene left behind in what’s usually New Orleans' busiest area.
“Before there was, you know, lots of music, lots of people being just real happy and jovial, and it’s ... it’s not that atmosphere today,” she said.
Pearson and her daughter are two of thousands of people who had tickets to the Sugar Bowl. Pearson told us they decided to stay an extra day and plan to attend the now-postponed College Football Playoff game.
Pearson said her daughter led the way in deciding to extend their trip.
“As long as she felt comfortable, I’m fine, because I wanted her to have a good time as well. And she wants to stay so I’m fine with it,” said Pearson.
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