One person has died and 21 people were wounded in a shooting in Missouri at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade.
According to officials, they treated eight victims whose conditions were immediately life-threatening and seven others whose injuries might be fatal. Three suspects concerning the shooting have been detained, according to the police.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves reported that three people were taken into custody and that a total of twenty-two people had been hit by gunfire. One of the victims is dead.
According to officials, the surviving victims were flown to three nearby hospitals, and within ten minutes of the shooting, the critically injured patients were also taken to the hospital.
Nine children aged six to 15 with gunshot wounds are being treated at Children’s Mercy Hospital, chief nursing officer Stephanie Meyer said. Not only were local hospitals reporting to be treating victims of the sudden stampede that followed the shooting, but they were also treating people who had not been shot. Police Chief Graves said the motive for the shooting was not yet clear.
A law enforcement source told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that the shooting appeared to be the result of an argument that turned violent.
The shots were fired west of Union Station, the train station in downtown Kansas City, which was where the parade ended at about 14:00 local time (20:00 GMT). Local reports said Kansas City Chiefs players were still on a stage there when the first shots rang out. The gunfire caused the watching crowd, including the city’s mayor and his family members, to run for cover.
A 46-year-old man, Paul Contreras, told local television station, KETV, that he was one of the fans who helped “tackle” the man and saw him drop a gun when he was knocked down. Mr. Contreras stated, “He is fighting to get up and run away the entire time,” and that police showed up shortly after.
Chief Graves stated that she was aware of a video that appeared to show supporters putting someone under control and that detectives were watching the clip to see if the person in question was one of those detained by the police. Gunfire erupted as the city celebrated the victory of the Kansas City Chiefs in America’s biggest sporting event.
Kansas City’s Mayor, Quinton Lucas, said he was inside Union Station when he and others heard the sound of gunfire. “We went out today like everyone else in Kansas City was looking to celebrate,” Mr. Lucas stated during the press conference on Wednesday.
I could never have imagined that hundreds of thousands of people—including us and the Chiefs players—would have to flee for their lives today.” In a statement, the Kansas City Chiefs organization said it was “truly saddened” by Wednesday’s violence.
Prominent tight end Travis Kelce, whose romance with Taylor Swift made waves in the public eye, expressed his “heartbreak over the tragedy that took place today” on social media.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a wide receiver for the Chiefs, also took to social media after the tragedy. He said he wanted to get in touch with the young victims of the shooting.
