One useless and greater than 20 injured in taking pictures at Chiefs Super Bowl parade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eight kids have been amongst 22 individuals hit by gunfire in a taking pictures on the finish of Wednesday’s parade to have fun the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, authorities stated, sending terrified followers working for canopy as one more high-profile public occasion was marred by gun violence. One of these victims — a mom of two recognized by her radio station as a DJ — was killed.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves stated three individuals had been detained as a part of the investigation. She stated she has heard that followers might have been concerned in tackling a suspect however couldn’t instantly verify that.

“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment.” Graves stated. Police didn’t instantly launch any particulars in regards to the individuals who have been detained or a couple of attainable motive for the shootings. She stated firearms had been recovered, however not what sort.

“All of that is being actively investigated,” she stated.

It is the latest sports activities celebration within the U.S. to finish in gun violence, following a taking pictures that injured a number of individuals final 12 months in downtown Denver after the Nuggets’ NBA championship, and gunfire final 12 months at a car parking zone close to the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade.

Social media customers posted stunning video of police working via a crowded scene as individuals hurriedly scrambled for canopy and fled. One video confirmed somebody apparently performing chest compressions on a taking pictures sufferer as one other person, seemingly writhing in ache, lay on the bottom close by. People screamed within the background.

Another video confirmed two individuals chase and sort out a person, holding them down till two cops arrived.

Radio station KKFI stated in a Facebook submit Wednesday night that Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of “Taste of Tejano,” was killed within the taking pictures.

“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” KKFI stated in a press release.

Lopez-Galvan, whose DJ title was “Lisa G,” was an extrovert and devoted mom from a outstanding Latino household within the space, stated Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, two childhood pals who labored along with her at a staffing firm. Izurieta stated Lopez-Galvan had attended the parade along with her husband and her grownup son, a die-hard Kansas City sports activities fan who additionally was shot.

“She’s the type of person who would jump in front of a bullet for anybody — that would be Lisa,” Izurieta stated.

The taking pictures outdoors Union Station occurred regardless of greater than 800 cops who have been within the building and across the space, together with on high of close by buildings, stated Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended along with his spouse and mom and needed to run for canopy when gunfire broke out.

“I think that’s something that all of us who are parents, who are just regular people living each day, have to decide what we wish to do about,” Lucas stated. “Parades, rallies, schools, movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe.”

Kansas City has lengthy struggled with gun violence, and in 2020 it was amongst 9 cities focused by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023 the town matched a report with 182 homicides, most of which concerned weapons.

Lucas has joined with mayors throughout the nation in calling for brand spanking new legal guidelines to cut back gun violence, together with mandating common background checks.

Lisa Money, a resident of the town, was attempting to collect some confetti close to the tip of the parade when she heard anyone yell, “Down, down, everybody down!”

At first Money thought anyone could be joking till she noticed the SWAT crew leaping over the fence.

“I can’t believe it really happened. Who in their right mind would do something like this? This is supposed to be a day of celebration for everybody in the city and the surrounding area. And then you’ve got some idiot that wants to come along and do something like this,” she stated.

Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, stated he heard what appeared like firecrackers after which individuals began working. After that preliminary flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t assume a lot of it. But 10 minutes later, ambulances began exhibiting up.

“It sucks that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Sanders stated.

University Health spokeswoman Nancy Lewis stated the hospital was treating eight gunshot victims. Two have been in important situation and 6 have been in secure situation, she stated. The hospital additionally was treating 4 individuals for different accidents ensuing from the chaos after the taking pictures, Lewis stated.

Lisa Augustine, spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, stated the hospital was treating 12 sufferers from the rally, together with 11 kids, a few of whom suffered gunshot wounds.

St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City obtained one gunshot affected person in important situation and three walk-ins with accidents that weren’t life-threatening, spokesperson Laurel Gifford stated.

“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,” stated Jill Jensen Chadwick, information director for University of Kansas Health System, which obtained at the least one person injured within the taking pictures.

Chiefs coach Rick Burkholder stated that he was with coach Andy Reid and different coaches and employees members on the time of the taking pictures, and that the crew 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 crew stated in a press release.

Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson and first woman Teresa Parson have been on the parade throughout the gunfire however have been unharmed. “Thanks to the professionalism of our security officers and first responders, Teresa and I and our staff are safe and secure,” Parson stated in a press release.

President Joe Biden stated the taking pictures “cuts deep in the American soul” and known as on individuals to press Congress to ban assault weapons, to restrict high-capacity gun magazines and for different gun measures which have been rejected by Republicans.

“Today’s events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting. What are we waiting for?” he stated.

Biden famous that Wednesday was the anniversary of the 2018 excessive schoool taking pictures in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 individuals and stated there have been extra mass shootings in 2024 “than there have been days in the year.”

Areas that had been stuffed with crowds have been empty after the taking pictures, with police and firefighters standing and speaking behind an space restricted by yellow tape.

Throngs had lined the route earlier, with followers climbing timber and avenue poles or standing on rooftops for a greater view. Players rolled via the group on double-decker buses, as DJs and drummers heralded their arrival. Owner Clark Hunt was on one of many buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy.

The metropolis and the crew every chipped in round $1 million for the occasion commemorating Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs turning into the primary crew since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots twenty years in the past to defend their title.

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Associated Press writers Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa; Jim Salter in St. Louis; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri; and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to attribute a quote about hospitals receiving sufferers to Jill Jensen Chadwick, not Laurel Gifford.