From the heart of KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A tragic incident unfolded at the conclusion of Wednesday’s parade, celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory. Gunfire erupted, striking 22 individuals, including eight children. The terrifying event sent fans scrambling for safety, marking yet another public event tainted by gun violence. A mother of two, known as a DJ at her radio station, was the sole fatality.
At a press conference, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves shared the grim details of the shooting. She confirmed that three individuals had been apprehended in connection with the incident. Graves mentioned hearing rumors of fans assisting in the capture of a suspect, but could not immediately verify this information.
“I’m deeply disturbed by today’s events. Attendees of this celebration should have been able to enjoy a safe environment,” Graves expressed. The police have yet to disclose any information about the suspects or a potential motive. Graves confirmed that firearms were recovered at the scene, but did not specify the type of weapons used.
“We are actively investigating all aspects of this incident,” she added.
This incident is the latest in a series of sports celebrations in the U.S. marred by gun violence. Previous incidents include a shooting in downtown Denver following the Nuggets’ NBA championship and gunfire near the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade.
Social media was flooded with harrowing videos of the chaos. One video showed a person performing chest compressions on a victim, while another person writhed in pain nearby. Another video showed two individuals chasing and tackling a suspect, holding them down until police arrived.
Radio station KKFI mourned the loss of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of “Taste of Tejano,” who was killed in the shooting. “This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” KKFI stated.
Lopez-Galvan, known as “Lisa G,” was a vibrant personality and a devoted mother from a well-known Latino family in the area. Her friends, Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, shared that Lopez-Galvan attended the parade with her husband and adult son, who was also injured in the shooting.
“Lisa was the kind of person who would take a bullet for anyone,” Izurieta said.
Despite the presence of over 800 police officers in and around the area, the shooting occurred outside Union Station. Mayor Quinton Lucas, who was present with his wife and mother, had to seek cover when the gunfire began.
“This incident forces us to confront the reality of gun violence in our everyday lives,” Lucas said. “It seems like almost nothing is safe.”
Kansas City has a long history of struggling with gun violence. In 2020, it was among nine cities targeted by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to curb violent crime. In 2023, the city matched a record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.
Lucas has joined other mayors across the country in advocating for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating universal background checks.
City resident Lisa Money was collecting confetti near the end of the parade when she heard someone yell, “Down, down, everybody down!” Initially, she thought it was a joke until she saw the SWAT team jumping over the fence.
“I can’t believe it really happened. Who would do something like this? This was supposed to be a day of celebration for everyone in the city and the surrounding area. And then some idiot comes along and does something like this,” she said.
Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people started running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up.
“It’s unfortunate that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Sanders said.
University Health spokeswoman Nancy Lewis said the hospital was treating eight gunshot victims. Two were in critical condition and six were in stable condition, she said. The hospital also was treating four people for other injuries resulting from the chaos after the shooting, Lewis said.
Lisa Augustine, spokeswoman for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children, some of whom suffered gunshot wounds.
St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City received one gunshot patient in critical condition and three walk-ins with injuries that did not appear life-threatening, spokeswoman Laurel Gifford said.
“When you have this many casualties, it’s going to get spread out among a lot of hospitals so that you don’t overwhelm any single ER,” said Jill Jensen Chadwick, news director for University of Kansas Health System, which received at least one person injured in the shooting.
Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said that he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members at the time of the shooting, and that the team was on buses and returning to Arrowhead Stadium.
“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside of Union Station at the conclusion of today’s parade and rally,” the team said in a statement.
Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson and first lady Teresa Parson were at the parade during the gunfire but were unhurt. “Thanks to the professionalism of our security officers and first responders, Teresa and I and our staff are safe and secure,” Parson said in a statement.
President Joe Biden said the shooting “cuts deep in the American soul” and called on people to press Congress to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity gun magazines and for other gun measures that have been rejected by Republicans.
“Today’s events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting. What are we waiting for?” he said.
Biden noted that Wednesday was the anniversary of the 2018 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people and said there have been more mass shootings in 2024 “than there have been days in the year.”
Areas that had been filled with crowds were empty after the shooting, with police and firefighters standing and talking behind an area restricted by yellow tape.
Throngs had lined the route earlier, with fans climbing trees and street poles or standing on rooftops for a better view. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, as DJs and drummers heralded their arrival. Owner Clark Hunt was on one of the buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy.
The city and the team each chipped in around $1 million for the event commemorating Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots two decades ago to defend their title.
Disagree
This tragic incident highlights the urgent need for stricter gun control measures to protect innocent lives. My heart goes out to all those affected by this senseless act of violence.