One person dead and at least 21 others injured after shooting near Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade
Eleven injured minors are undergoing treatment after 22 people were hit by gunfire in Kansas City, Missouri, during a Super Bowl victory parade for the Kansas City Chiefs, authorities say.
The Kansas City fire and police departments confirmed one person died and at least 15 others suffered life-threatening injuries after the incident unfolded on Wednesday (local time).
Radio station KKFI said one of its employees, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, was the woman killed.
“It is with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart that we let our community know that KKFI DJ Lisa Lopez, host of Taste of Tejano lost her life today in the shooting at the KC Chiefs’ rally,” the station posted on social media.
In the latest press conference, Police Chief Stacey Graves said three people were in custody, after police had earlier said two of them were armed.
She said at least 22 people suffered gunshot wounds and the motive for the shooting was “still being investigated”.
“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” she said.
Five injured people were taken from Union Station to the University Health hospital in Kansas City, according to a spokesperson there.
A local fire department official said five people were initially listed in “serious” condition and another in “non-life threatening” condition.
Authorities are still sorting out the exact number and details of casualties.
Children’s Mercy Kansas City treated a dozen patients, including 11 minors, with nine of the patients suffering gunshot wounds, a hospital spokesperson said.
“Shots were fired west of Union Station near the garage and multiple people were struck,” Kansas City police had said earlier on the social media platform X.
“We took two armed people into custody for more investigation.”
Chief Graves said she was aware of reports that some fans may have participated in the pursuit and capture of at least one of the suspects, but that was unconfirmed.
Some 800 law enforcement officers, including FBI agents, were already at the scene when the shooting took place.
President Joe Biden, who was briefed on the shooting and received updates throughout the day, said the tragedy “cuts deep in the American soul” and called for Congress to take action to prevent gun violence.
“And I ask the country to stand with me,” Mr Biden said in a statement. “To make your voice heard in Congress so we finally act to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity magazines, strengthen background checks, keep guns out of the hands of those who have no business owning them or handling them.”
Shooting ‘absolutely a tragedy’
Eyewitness video posted on social media platforms showed chaos outside the train station with dozens of uniformed police officers, weapons drawn, running into the building as scores of bystanders fled in the opposite direction.
A woman attending the Super Bowl victory parade with another attendee described the terror after the shooting began.
“All of a sudden, people started crushing forward. Everybody started running. There was screaming,” she said.
“We didn’t know what was happening but this day and age, when people run, you run. And so I put my hands around her and we tried to push through so people wouldn’t run on top of us.”
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