21 people were injured in a shooting during Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday, US media reported.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves told a news conference that one person, identified by a radio station as a DJ, was killed. She also said three people were taken into custody. Ms. Graves said:
I’m angry at what happened today.
Police have not released any details about the detainees, possible motives for the shooting or what weapon was used. Police Chief added:
There’s a lot of work ahead. This is just the beginning stages. All of that is being actively investigated.
Stephanie Meyer, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said all affected children are expected to make a full recovery. She told reporters:
I want to clarify that we have had 12 patients that we have treated, 11 of which are children with nine gunshot wounds… all of those patients we expect to have a full recovery, none of which are in critical condition.
City mayor Quinton Lucas said:
This is absolutely a tragedy, the likes of which we never would have expected in Kansas City, the likes of which we’ll remember for some time.
Radio station KKFI said in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening that DJ Lisa Lopez was killed in the shooting. KKFI said in a statement:
This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community.
President Joe Biden said the shooting “deeply wounded the American soul.” The president urged people to push Congress to ban assault weapons, limit high-capacity magazines and other gun control measures that have been rejected by Republicans. He said:
Today’s events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting. What are we waiting for?
Graves said she is aware that some fans may have been involved in the pursuit and capture of at least one of the suspects, and investigators are reviewing video footage of the incident.
About 800 law enforcement officers, including agents from the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), attended the rally and parade.
All Chiefs players, coaches and staff who attended the victory rally are safe, the National Football League team said in a statement.
According to police, the barrage of shots fired in the street outside a garage near the train station came at the end of the victory rally following the parade.
Union Station, a 109-year-old Beaux Arts-style building that once served as a major USA railway hub for passenger and freight traffic, is now home to a museum and attractions, as well as an Amtrak passenger terminal.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson and his wife were attending a rally when shots rang out near the train station, but were safe after the incident, according to a statement posted on X’s website thanking law enforcement for their response. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly was also at the rally when the shots rang out.
On Sunday, the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to win the Super Bowl 25-22.
Wednesday’s violence came on the sixth anniversary of one of the most notorious mass shootings in modern US history, when 17 people were killed and 17 others injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The shooter, a former student who was 19 years old at the time, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.
