8 to 10 people injured after shooting near Chiefs parade, official says
By Heather Hollingsworth, The Associated Press on February 14, 2024.
KANSAS CITY (AP) – A shooting at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade left at least eight injured while sending terrified fans running for cover. Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins said eight to 10 people were injured but declined further comment, saying only that additional information will be released soon. Police said in a news release that two people were detained. Fans were urged to exit the area as quickly as possible. Lisa Money of Kansas City, Kansas, was trying to gather some confetti near the end of the parade when she heard somebody yell “Down, down, everybody down!” At first Money thought somebody might be joking until she saw the SWAT team jumping 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 said. Ofilio Martinez, 48, said he heard shots fired a couple blocks away about 10 or 15 minutes before the gunfire near the Union Station rally. “This is making me nervous, scared,” he said. Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But he said 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up. “It sucks that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Sanders said. Lisa Augustine, spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital “is receiving patients from the rally.” She didn’t know how many or immediately offer any details about their injuries. The University of Kansas Health System was treating one person wounded in the shooting, said Jill Jensen Chadwick, news director for the health system. She didn’t know the person’s condition. “When you have this many casualties, it’s going to get spread out among a lot of hospitals so that you don’t overwhelm single ER,” she said. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and the first lady were at the parade when shots were fired but are safe, Parson posted on X. “State law enforcement personnel are assisting local authorities in response efforts,” Parson posted. “As we wait to learn more, our hearts go out to the victims.” Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members, and the team was on buses and returning to Arrowhead Stadium. Areas that had been filled with crowds were empty after the shooting, with police and firefighters standing and talking behind an area restricted by yellow tape. Throngs lined the route, with fans climbing trees and street poles, or standing on rooftops for a better view. Owner Clark Hunt was on one of those buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy. Former “Modern Family” star Eric Stonestreet was part of the mob. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, DJs and drummers heralding their arrival. “We are stacking up trophies,” linebacker Drue Tranquill said as he grabbed a reporter’s mic during Wednesday’s festivities to mark the Chiefs’ come-from-behind, 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers. “Best fans in the world,” exclaimed wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who caught the winning touchdown pass, as he walked along the route, with the players signing jerseys and at least one person’s head. “Never stop,” running back Isiah Pacheco added from the route. Key on the minds of many fans is whether pop superstar Taylor Swift would join her boyfriend Travis Kelce for the parade and victory speeches. Swift has not commented. She has a show in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday night, the first of three scheduled concerts on her Eras Tour. She was nowhere to be seen early in the parade. Instead, Kelce was joined by his mom, Donna Kelce, the superstar of NFL moms (her oldest son, Jason Kelce, is a center for the Philadelphia Eagles). Unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit (15-20 Celsius) had players stripping off shirts. The weather also helped generate a crowd that city officials estimate could top 1 million. “I missed last year. I said, “˜I’m not missing this year,'” said longtime fan Charles Smith Sr., who flew from his home in Sicklerville, New Jersey, for the parade. Known by friends as Kansas City Smitty, the 52-year-old first became a Chiefs fan when Christian Okoye played fullback for the team starting in the late 1980s. “I got a history with this team,” he said, adding that he ran out of his home with a giant flag, screaming “Kansas City,” when the Chiefs clinched the victory in overtime. The city and the team each chipped in around $1 million for the event commemorating Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots two decades ago to defend their title. Some fans camped overnight and others began to stake out spots before dawn to catch prime viewing spots. Bailey McDermott, 17, and Gracie Gilby, 16, of Lebanon, Missouri, got up at 3 a.m. to make the three-hour drive to the parade. They had a party to watch the game, confetti poppers erupting when the Chiefs won. “Kind of freaking out at the end,” said Gilby, who wore a sequined Chiefs jerseys with Kelce’s No. 87 on it. McDermott also had a sequined jersey, hers bearing Mahomes’ No. 15. After decades without a championship, the city is gaining experience with victory parades. Five seasons ago, the Chiefs defeated the 49ers for the team’s first Super Bowl championship in 50 years. That followed the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series in 2015, the city’s first baseball championship in 30 years. That year, fans abandoned their cars on the side of the highway so they could walk to the celebration. Then, last year, the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 and prophetically vowed they would be back for more. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl 36-35
