KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City investigators are trying to figure out who is responsible for a deadly shooting. Chiefs Super Bowl Celebration The accident killed one woman, injured more than 20 others, and caused panic among thousands of people who had been enjoying their NFL team's victory just moments before.
Police said the altercation may have resulted in: shooting, As gunshots rang out at the end, celebration It's located outside the city's historic Union Station. Fans lined the parade route, some climbing trees and street poles or standing on rooftops to watch the players pass by in double-decker buses.The team says all players, coaches, staff and their families It was safe He then explained after the shooting.
Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended with his wife and mother and ran for safety when the shooting occurred, said the shooting occurred despite the presence of more than 800 police officers in and near the building.
Here's what we know:
victim
Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a news conference Thursday that the 22 people injured in the shooting ranged in age from 8 to 47, and half were under 16. A mother of two was murdered.
Radio station KKFI revealed this through Facebook. lisa lopez galvanThe host of “Taste of Tejano” was murdered. Ms. López Galván, whose DJ name was “Lisa G,'' was an outgoing and devoted mother, said childhood friends Rosa Izrietta and Martha Ramirez, who worked together at a staffing agency. Izrieta said Lopez-Galván attended the parade with her husband and her adult son, an avid Kansas City sports fan, who was also shot.
López-Galván has performed a mix of Tejano, Mexican and Spanish music with R&B and hip-hop at weddings, quinceañeras and American Legion Bars and Grills. Izrieta and Ramirez said López-Galván's family is active in the Latinx community, and her father founded Mariachi Mexico, the city's first mariachi organization, in the 1980s.
Officials said 11 children were taken to a children's hospital, nine with gunshot wounds. Three children were still receiving treatment Thursday and all are expected to recover.
Eight shooting victims were taken to different hospitals Wednesday. Officials said Thursday that two people were in critical condition and five people had been released from the hospital. Three of the four people were injured in the chaos that followed the shooting and have since been released from the hospital.
Officials announced Thursday afternoon that a shooting victim who was in critical condition at a third hospital has been upgraded to critical condition. Four people injured after the shooting were treated there and released.
witnesses
The police chief said it was likely that 1 million people participated in the parade in a city with a population of about 470,000 and a metropolitan area of about 2 million.
Video showed two people in the crowd tackling a person.
tray filter A man from Wichita, Kansas, said he was walking to his car with his wife and two children when he saw “chaos starting to spread.” He and another man tackled the person and held him down until officers arrived. It wasn't immediately clear if that person was involved in the shooting, but Filter's wife, Casey, noticed a gun nearby and she picked it up.
Kansas high school sophomore Hank Hunter and a friend ran when people started hitting the ground. After his friend jumped the barricade and was injured, security escorted him to Union Station, where Chiefs coach Andy Reid comforted the boy.
Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith shared his WWE title belt to calm the boy down. Smith, who was wearing the belt at the celebration, noticed the frightened boy who was with his father. He told Good Morning America that he and long snapper James Winchester were among those taking shelter in the closet, and that Winchester was “very helpful in calming people down.”
Gene Hamilton, 61, of Wichita, Kansas, said he was sitting there when he heard what sounded like a lot of fireworks and everyone started running. Hamilton was concerned by the upbeat rally music continuing amidst the chaos, he said.
Manuel Vigil, 43, said he was taking pictures with a group near where the band was playing when he heard what sounded like fireworks. He said it was so shocking that no one ran at first.
investigation
Police said Thursday they had three juveniles in custody, but released one who was determined not to be involved in the shooting, and two remained in custody. Police Chief Graves said Wednesday that several firearms were recovered and investigators were working to determine if other people were involved.
Police did not provide details about those detained or the weapons seized.
Investigators appealed to witnesses, people with mobile phone footage and victims of violence to call a dedicated hotline.
Jackson County Attorney Jean Peters Baker said in a message posted on social media that she will use every tool at her disposal to get answers. “We will get through this together,” she said. “Let's heal together. And we will fight together.”
city history
Kansas City has struggled with gun violence, but in 2020 in nine cities Selected by the U.S. Department of Justice to crack down on violent crime. In 2023, he tied the record with 182 murders in the city, most of them with guns.
Mayor Lucas is working with mayors across the country to push for new laws to reduce gun violence, including requiring universal background checks.
missouri gun laws
Wednesday's shootings occurred in the following states: There are almost no gun regulations. and historical tensions over how cities deal with crime. But it's unclear what action, if any, the Republican-led Missouri Legislature will take in response to the shooting. Dozens of policymakers in Missouri and neighboring Kansas were caught up in the chaos. Some have vowed to take action. Efforts to make it harder to own or possess firearms are unlikely to pass in Republican-led state legislatures. A rare exception to the Republican Party's fierce resistance to gun control is an effort to crack down on controversial celebratory shootings in Kansas City.
Violence at sports festivals
Wednesday's shoot was At a recent sports festival Several people injured in shooting in US last year in denver After the Nuggets' NBA Championship.
championship celebration security
Kansas City's mayor and security experts say now may be the time to do so. Rethinking victory celebrations. Mayor Quinton Lucas said Thursday that the city will continue to celebrate the victory and next month's St. Patrick's Day parade will be held as scheduled. But Lucas told local TV station KMBC that if the Chiefs win another Super Bowl, they might be better off holding a smaller party at their home stadium, where safety is easier. Security experts say large gatherings and the proliferation of guns can be a deadly combination.
