Woman dead, children injured in Super Bowl parade shooting
woman has died and 21 others wounded, including children, after a shooter opened fire on a victory parade for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win.
Authorities in Kansas City said that the mass shooting appeared to stem from a dispute between several people.
Police Chief Stacey Graves said that 22 people injured in the shooting ranged between the ages of eight and 47 years old, half of whom were under the age of 16.
A mother of two named as local radio DJ Lisa Lopez-galvan was killed.
Three people were detained, including two juveniles, and firearms were recovered during the mayhem, police said.
Ms Graves said on the morning after the shooting: “We are working to determine the involvement of others. And it should be noted we have recovered several firearms. This incident is still a very active investigation.”
Stephanie Meyer, chief nursing officer for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said it was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children between the ages of six and 15, many of whom suffered gunshot wounds. When asked about the condition of the children, Ms Meyer responded: “Fear. The one word I would use to describe what we saw and how they came to us was fear.”
Several of the other victims were said to be in a critical condition,
Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas said: “Parades, rallies, schools, movies – it seems like almost nothing is safe.”
Throngs had lined the parade route before the shooting, with fans climbing trees and street poles or standing on rooftops for a better view. Players rolled through the crowd on doubledecker buses, as DJS and drummers heralded their arrival.
It is the latest sports celebration in the US to be marred by gun violence, following a shooting that wounded several people last year in Denver after the Nuggets’ NBA championship, and gunfire last year near the Texas Rangers’ World Series parade.
Socialmediauserspostedvidone eo of police running as people scrambled for cover and fled. One video showed someone apparently performing chest compressions on a victim.
Another video showed two people chase and tackle a person, holding them down until two police officers arrived.
Kansas City has long struggled with gun violence. In 2020, it was among nine cities targeted by the US justice jepartment in an effort to crack down on violent crime.
In 2023 the city saw a record 182 homicides, most of which involved guns. Mr Lucas joined mayors across the country in calling for new laws to reduce gun violence.
President Joe Biden 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. “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.”
Parades, rallies, schools, movies – it seems like almost nothing is safe Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas