The Kansas City Police Department reported a shooting that occurred very close to where the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans were celebrating the Super Bowl LVIII title. Several officers responded to secure the area. The tragedy occurred around 2 p.m., just yards away from the Union Station parking lot minutes after the event had concluded.
Three people have been arrested, two of them minors, for the incident that left one dead and 22 others injured, including 11 children between 6 and 15 years of age. According to Children's Mercy Hospital, none of them are in danger. It was also learned that the shooting occurred after a dispute between several people.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves spoke to reporters Wednesday night about the situation. "The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment," she said.
Shots have been fired around Union Station. Please leave the area.
— kcpolice (@kcpolice) February 14, 2024
Graves said eight of the injured had immediate life-threatening injuries, while seven others had life-threatening injuries and six suffered minor injuries.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas also spoke on the matter and confirmed that all Chiefs players, staff and their families were safe and accounted for. "The celebration was marred by a shooting. This is absolutely a tragedy," he added.
Kade Collins, who attended the festivities with his father, spoke with Fox 4 KC to comment on the events firsthand.
"We heard 10-12 gunshots, but we thought they were fireworks, so we didn't really panic at first or get too worked up. But then everyone started screaming and took off running. Once the crowd moved out of the way, I could see three people with gunshot wounds on the ground. I saw one girl with a gunshot wound to her leg. A second woman was also shot and had something tied around her leg to make a tourniquet and her leg was covered in blood," he began.
"There was a guy right by her, and he was in a lot worse shape - he was lying flat on his back. There were multiple people around him helping him. All three of these people seemed pretty young. In their 20s to 30s. We were trying to get out of there as fast as we could. My dad saw the police tackle a suspect. When we were walking out, there was someone pointing and saying 'he's right there, he's right there.' and police ran to the guy the crowd was pointing at and tackled him and put him in handcuffs. Everyone took off running and screaming," the witness said.
Johnson County mother dies
Local media outlets reported that the deceased was identified as Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two from Johnson County.
"Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a Johnson County mother of two and beloved disc jockey in Kansas City, was confirmed killed in the shooting at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade celebration Wednesday," detailed The Kansas City Star.
Meanwhile, Democrats used the event to promote gun control policies. President Joe Biden called on Americans to support his demand to Congress to ban assault weapons by asserting that the shooting at a Super Bowl parade is rock bottom.
"It is time to act. That’s where I stand. And I ask the country to stand with me. 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," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
Similar was the message from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who stressed, "We need a Constitutional Amendment to require simple things like background checks nationwide."
