KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Eight of 22 children were shot in Wednesday's shooting after the Kansas City Chiefs' celebratory parade. winning the super bowlauthorities said, as another high-profile public event was marred by gun violence, prompting frightened fans to take shelter. One of them, a mother of two identified by the radio station as a DJ, was killed.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said three people were taken into custody as part of the investigation. She said she had heard that her fans may have been involved in tackling her suspect, but she could not immediately confirm.
“I'm angry about what happened today. People who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said. Police did not immediately release details about those detained or the motive for the shooting. She said a firearm was recovered, but she did not say what type.
A woman was taken to an ambulance after an incident following the Kansas City Chiefs' NFL football Super Bowl celebration on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday. AP Photo/Reed Hoffman)
“All of them are currently under active investigation,” she said.
America's newest sports festival end in gun violenceFollowing a shooting incident that left several people injured Last year in downtown Denver. There were shootings after the Nuggets' NBA championship and last year in a parking lot near the Texas Rangers' World Series championship parade.
Social media users posted shocking videos of police rushing through the crowded scene as people scrambled for cover. One video showed someone performing chest compressions on a shooting victim while another person appeared to be writhing in pain on the ground nearby. People screamed in the background.
Another video showed two people chasing one, tackling him and holding him down until two police officers arrived.
AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports.
Radio station KKFI announced in a Facebook post Wednesday night that “Taste of Tejano” host Lisa Lopez Galván was killed in a shooting.
“This senseless act robbed her family and this KC community of a beautiful person,” KKFI said in a statement.
López Galván, whose DJ name was Lisa G, was an outgoing and devoted mother from a prominent Latino family in the area, said her childhood friend Rosa, who worked with her at a staffing agency. Izrietta and Martha Ramirez said. Izrieta said Lopez-Galván was attending the parade with her husband and her adult son, an avid Kansas City sports fan who was also shot.
“She's the type of person who would jump in front of a bullet for anyone, and that would be Lisa,” Izrietta said.
The shooting outside Union Station occurred even though more than 800 police officers were in the building and around the area, including on top of nearby buildings, said a man who was present, along with his wife and mother, when the shooting occurred. said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who had to flee. Outside.
“I think that's something that all of us as parents and all of us as normal people living every day have to decide what we want to do,” Lucas said. “Parades, rallies, schools, movies. Almost nothing seems safe.”
Kansas City has struggled with gun violence for years, but in 2020 in nine cities It has been targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice in an effort to crack down on violent crimes. In 2023, there were 182 homicides in the city, most involving firearms, a new high.
Lucas is working with mayors across the country to push for new laws to reduce gun violence, including universal background checks.
City resident Lisa Money was collecting confetti near the end of the parade when she heard someone yelling, “Stand back, stand back, everyone stand down!”
At first, Mr. Money thought someone was joking until he saw the SWAT team jump over the fence.
“I can't believe it really happened. Who in their right mind would do something like this? This day should be a day of celebration for the people of the city and surrounding areas. And please come along. , there are idiots out there who would want to do something like this,” she said.
Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people started running. After the initial confusion, calm returned and he didn't think much about it. But 10 minutes later, ambulances started arriving.
“It's unfortunate that someone had to spoil the celebration, but we're in a big city,” Sanders said.
University Health spokeswoman Nancy Lewis said the hospital was treating eight gunshot victims. Two people are in serious condition and six are in stable condition. She said Lewis said the hospital was also treating four other victims of injuries sustained in the chaos that followed the shooting.
Lisa Augustine, a spokeswoman for Children's Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital was treating 12 patients who attended the rally, including 11 children. He said he also suffered gunshot wounds.
St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City admitted one patient in critical condition from the shooting and three walk-in patients with non-life-threatening injuries, spokeswoman Laurel Gifford said. .
“When you have this many casualties, you're going to spread the damage across many hospitals so that no one ER is overwhelmed,” said Jill Jensen Chadwick, news director for the University of Kansas Health System. A person injured in a shooting.
Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members at the time of the shooting. The team was returning home on the bus. To Arrowhead Stadium.
“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside Union Station at the end of today's parade and rally,” the team said in a statement.
Missouri's Republican governor, Mike Parson, and his wife, Teresa Parson, were participating in the parade when the shooting occurred, but they were not injured. “Thanks to the professionalism of our security guards and first responders, Teresa and I and our staff feel safe and secure,” Parson said in a statement.
President Joe Biden said the shooting “deeply traumatized the American soul” and urged Americans to ask Congress to ban assault weapons, limit high-capacity gun magazines and pass other gun regulations that Republicans have rejected. I called out.
“Today's events should move us, shock us, and shame us into action. What are we dithering about?” he said.
Biden noted that Wednesday is the anniversary of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, high school shooting that killed 17 people, and said there will be more mass shootings in 2024 “than on any other day this year.” He said he is doing so.
The area that had been filled with crowds was deserted after the shooting, with police and firefighters standing and talking behind an area cordoned off with yellow tape.
Crowds had already formed along the roads, with fans climbing trees, street poles and even standing on rooftops to get a better view. The players rode through the crowd on a double-decker bus as a DJ and drummer announced their arrival. Owner Clark Hunt was also on one of the buses with the Lombardi Trophy in hand.
The city and the team each donated about $1 million to the event to commemorate Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 20 years ago. defend your title.
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Associated Press writers Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa; Jim Salter of St. Louis; Josh Funk of Omaha, Nebraska; Summer Valentine's Day in Columbia, Missouri. John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.
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This article has been corrected to say the quote about hospitals accepting patients is from Jill Jensen Chadwick, not Laurel Gifford.
