Law enforcement personnel investigate following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Authorities have charged two men with murder in a shooting during a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory celebration that left one person dead and roughly two dozen others injured.
The arrests came after police announced Friday that they had detained two juveniles in the Feb. 14 shooting outside Kansas City’s historic Union Station.
The shooting brought a horrific end to what had been a gleeful celebration of the Chiefs’ victory that had drawn an estimated 1 million people to the city. Police said they believed several people were to blame for the shooting.
THE INVESTIGATION
Prosecutors said they charged Dominic Miller and Lyndell Mays with second-degree murder and other counts. Both have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds since the shooting.
The men, who didn’t know each other, were among several people arguing when Mays “pulled his handgun,” leading others to do the same, court records show. Online court records do not list attorneys who can comment for the men.
Authorities also detained two juveniles, charging them with gun-related and resisting arrest charges.
Officials have said more charges are possible.
The shooting happened despite the presence of more than 800 police officers.
Those injured range in age from 8 to 47 years, according to Police Chief Stacey Graves. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two and the host of a radio show called “Taste of Tejano,” was killed.
Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker promised to “hold every shooter accountable for their actions on that day. Every single one.”
A JERSEY FOR SHOOTING VICTIM
Lopez-Galvan was wearing a jersey of Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at the celebration. On Tuesday, the kicker responded to requests on social media seeking help in obtaining a similar jersey for Lopez-Galvan’s family, possibly so she could be laid to rest with the shirt.
In a statement, Butker said he and his wife were heartbroken by Lopez-Galvan’s killing and called for those responsible to “be brought to justice.”
“Hearing that she was a fan of my outspokenness for our shared Catholic Faith makes this even more personal. I am honored to provide a jersey to the family for her to wear,” Butker said. “While the family is mourning their loss and grappling with their numerous injuries, I will continue to pray for their healing and the repose of Lisa’s soul.”
CITY’S HISTORY AND STATE LAWS
The shooting occurred in a state with few gun regulations and historic tension over how cities handle crime.
Kansas City has long struggled with gun violence, and in 2020 it was among nine cities where the U.S. Justice Department launched crackdowns on violent crime. In 2023, the city set a record with 185 homicides, most of which involved guns.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has joined with mayors across the country to call for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating universal background checks.
Advocates for tighter gun restrictions organized a rally in Kansas City on Saturday, near where the shooting took place. Video posted on social media shows dozens of people holding signs and chanting, “Enough is enough!”
It is unlikely that the state government would ever introduce laws to limit gun ownership, but on Monday, the Missouri House did approve a ban on celebratory gunfire in cities, and the measure now goes to the Senate.
RETHINKING SPORTS CELEBRATIONS?
The shooting was the latest at a sports celebration in the United States. A shooting wounded several people last year in Denver after the Nuggets’ NBA championship.
Kansas City’s mayor and security experts say it could be time to rethink championship celebrations. Lucas said Thursday that the city would continue to celebrate its victories. Next month’s St. Patrick’s Day parade will go ahead as scheduled.
But he told local television station KMBC that if the Chiefs win another Super Bowl, it might be better to have a smaller party at their home stadium, where security can be managed more easily.
