….What City Chiefs know so far

February 15, 2024

At least one person was killed and as many as 21 other people were injured with gunshot wounds in a shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, after a rally Wednesday celebrating the Chiefs’ Super Bowl overtime victory, authorities said.

Eight of the injured had “immediately life-threatening” injuries, seven had life-threatening injuries and six had minor injuries after the shooting about 2 p.m. CT, Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said.

Kansas City, Missouri, radio station KKFI 90.1 said one of its DJs was killed in the shooting Wednesday.

Police have not publicly identified any of the victims, including the one deceased person.

Children’s Mercy Hospital said it was treating 12 victims, most of them children with gunshot wounds.

Three people have been detained near a garage west of Union Station, Kansas City police said. Police are working to determine whether bystanders tackled one of the detained people, Police Chief Stacey Graves said.

The police department did not identify suspects. The shooting appears to have been criminal in nature and not terrorism, according to a preliminary investigation, three law enforcement officials briefed on the incident said.

Police asked people to quickly leave the area so victims could get medical aid.

Thousands of people had gathered in downtown Kansas City for a celebratory parade and rally at Union Station after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win Sunday.

Police said all of the Chiefs players, coaches and staff members and their families were safe.

A senior White House official said that the Biden administration was “closely monitoring” the situation and that “federal law enforcement is on scene supporting local law enforcement.”

Drue Tranquill, a linebacker for the Chiefs, asked people to join him in prayer for the victims over “this heinous act.”

“Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing,” he said on X.

“Praying for Kansas City,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also said on X.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was at the celebration and was safely evacuated.

……..What City Chiefs know so far

A mass shooting occurred at Wednesday’s Super Bowl victory parade for the Kansas City Chiefs football team, with gunshots erupting and multiple people struck.

Authorities have confirmed at least one person was killed and at least 21 were injured by gunfire. At least eight children were among those shot and eight people had immediately life-threatening injuries.

The shooting occurred at the end of the parade, which was expected to be attended by more than a million people, and sent terrified fans fleeing as police raced to find the perpetrators.

Police have detained three people in connection with the shooting, and recovered firearms from the scene.

Authorities said there is not yet a clear motive and said that much remains unknown. They have asked anyone with information or video of what occurred to contact police.

The Kansas City Star identified a victim who died. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a local DJ and mother of two, died in surgery after being shot, friends told the newspaper.

The Kansas City Chiefs issued a statement, describing the incident as a “senseless act of violence” and said “our hearts go out to the victims, their families and all of Kansas City”. None of their players or staff were harmed.

Other players responded, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes and teammate Travis Kelce, who said he was “heartbroken”.

The Missouri governor, Mike Parson, and his wife were at the Chiefs rally when the shooting occurred and were unharmed.

The US president, Joe Biden, has released a statement on the shooting, calling for tougher gun control measures and saying that he and first lady Jill will “pray for those killed and injured”.

Witnesses have spoken of their horror and desperation after gunshots rang out, sparking panic among the tens of thousands who had turned out to celebrate.

The Kansas City police chief, Stacey Graves, said she was aware of reports that some fans may have helped apprehend of at least one of the suspects, but did not confirm that that occurred. Investigators were reviewing video footage, she said.

Graves used a press conference to praise the bravery of law enforcement officers and denounce the violence. “This is not Kansas City. I’m angry [about] what has happened … All the law enforcement that were there did the best they could, and I’m so proud of them, that they ran into danger.”

Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas connected the tragedy back to the epidemic of mass shootings in the US and called for more action to stop them. “Today was tragic for everyone who was part of it,” Lucas said, adding that his wife put it into perspective when he called her after the shooting. “We became part of a statistic of too many Americans – those who have experienced or been part of or connected to a mass shooting,” he quoted her saying.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com