One dead, 21 injured in Super Bowl parade shooting

KANSAS CITY— One person was killed and children were among the 21 injured after a mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory rally on Wednesday triggered panic among huge crowds of fans.

Shots rang out moments after jubilant Chiefs players addressed a vast, cheering crowd, sending shocked fans and VIPs fleeing in a tragic end to what had been a joyous morning of celebrating the NFL champions.

Police said three people had been taken into custody after the attack near Kansas City’s Union Station, but the motive behind the shooting was still under investigation.

Fire department chief Ross Grundyson told a press conference that many of the victims had sustained “life-threatening injuries.”

A local DJ, Lisa Lopez, was killed in the assault, her radio station said.

“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” KKFI posted on its Facebook page, referring to Kansas City.

Children’s Mercy Hospital said it was treating 12 people -- 11 of them children, nine for gunshot wounds -after the shooting. A hospital spokesman said all were expected to recover.

Paul Contreras, who was at the rally with his three daughters, said he tackled and disarmed one of the suspected shooters before the police arrived.

“I got the right angle on him and I hit him from behind. And when I hit him from behind, I either jarred the gun out of his hand or out of his sleeve,” Contreras said on CNN. “I take him down, and I’m putting all my body weight on him. And then another good Samaritan comes over and is helping me.”

Victims were treated lying on the ground before being carried away on stretchers amid the commotion and the crowds, while the hundreds of police guarding the event rushed to clear the area.

Chiefs star Travis Kelce said he was “heartbroken.”

“My heart is with all who came out to celebrate with us and have been affected. KC, you mean the world to me,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.