One killed, kids shot at Super Bowl parade
One person has been killed and at least 21 injured – including eight children – after a shooting during a victory parade for Super Bowl winners the Kansas City Chiefs.
Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City said most of the children they were treating had gunshot wounds.
“Those victims brought here from the Union Station incident are being treated by the best trauma specialists in the city,” a hospital spokesman said. No ages of the victims were provided.
Police officers said three people had been arrested, with one of the suspects detained by fans. NBC News reported that police did not believe it was terrorism but had no information on the motive.
Television footage of the scene showed police, some wearing baseball caps displaying the team’s badge, with their weapons drawn among fans.
The head of the Kansas City fire department, Michael Hopkins, declined to comment on the condition of those injured.
“Shots were fired west of Union Station near the garage and multiple people were struck,” Kansas City police said on X/Twitter. “We took two armed people into custody for more investigation.”
Video showed a chaotic scene outside the train station as police officers stormed into the building.
“Anyone nearby needs to leave the area as quickly as possible to facilitate treatment of the shooting victims,” the police added.
Earlier, confetti cannons exploded from double-decker buses as the team was transported through the crowd. Many of the fans had climbed trees and street lamps to get a better vantage point.
While it is not yet clear if the shooting and the parade are linked, the train station was the intended venue for the end of the celebrations. It is believed that several thousand people had turned up as the trophy was shown off by the team.
Taylor Swift, whose relationship with Chiefs player Travis Kelce has been the subject of much media attention this season, was not there – she’s in Australia for her Eras tour concerts. However her relationship with Kelce was at the centre of a conspiracy theory before the Super Bowl, with some suggesting the romance was part of a “covert government effort” to re-elect President Joe Biden.
A new poll for Monmouth University, New Jersey, showed that 18 per cent of people believed the theory, for which there is no evidence. Among declared supporters of the Republican Party, however, that level of support jumped to 32 per cent.
Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas said he was “heartbroken” by the shooting.
“We went out today like everyone in Kansas City looking to have a celebration. That celebration was marred by a shooting ...This is absolutely a tragedy,” he said.
The shots were fired moments after members of the team had addressed their fans.
The Kansas City Chiefs issued a statement saying the team was “truly saddened” by the “senseless act of violence”.