The Kansas City Chiefs and their fans began the day hoping to celebrate together.
All was going perfectly until bullets ripped through crowds of spectators attended by tens of thousands Wednesday, killing one and injuring at least 21 others in the nation’s latest shooting assault at a major sports or concert venue.
Kansas City, Missouri, police confirmed shots were fired west of Union Station at around 2 p.m. local time. Interim Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said at a news conference that 22 people suffered gunshot wounds, including one fatality, eight with immediately life-threatening injuries, seven with life-threatening injuries, and six with minor injuries.
Several people near the parade route were carried away on stretchers.
Lisa Augustine, spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children, some of whom suffered gunshot wounds.
Police Chief Stacey Graves said three people have been detained, but detectives are investigating whether one person was among a group of bystanders who assisted police and possibly tackled an assailant.
“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said at a news conference.
Some of the Kansas City Chiefs players spoke at the rally but were not in the line of fire when shots rang out. A team official said players and coaches were not injured and were on buses leaving the area.
More than 800 law enforcement officers were providing security for the parade route, Graves said. Several hundred thousand people had been expected to attend the parade celebrating the Chiefs’ championship victory Sunday.
Shootings at victory rallies are not unheard of in recent years. After the Denver Nuggets’ championship parade last year, a shooting took place in downtown Denver that injured two people, though police said they didn’t believe the incident was associated with the actual celebration. Also last year, an argument resulted in shots being fired at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade. Nobody was injured.
Kansas City Chiefs Fan That Tackled Suspected Parade Shooter: ‘I Didn’t Hesitate, Just Do It’
According a CNN article, spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department Capt. Jake Becchina said several people were struck.
“At the conclusion of the rally there were shots fired west of Union Station near the garage and several people were struck,” Becchina said.
There were up to 14 victims injured in the shooting, according to the Kansas City Fire Department. One of the victims died as a result of the shooting, and three more are in critical condition, according to Michael Hopkins of the Kansas City Fire Department. Hopkins also said there are five more people who sought medical attention for injuries related to the event, but it is unknown whether they are gunshot victims.
One of the positive stories to come from the day was video footage capturing a Kansas City Chiefs fan sprinting after and tackling one of the suspected gunmen.
KETV 7 News caught up with the Omaha native, Paul Contreras, who shared exactly what happened from his point of view.
An Omaha hero tackled one of the suspected shooters at today's tragic mass shooting in Kansas City.
"I didn't think about it. It's just a reaction. I didn't hesitate – just do it," said Paul Contreras. #omaha | #chiefsparade pic.twitter.com/DU7RvBEPkD
— Bill Schammert (@BillSchammert) February 15, 2024
“One guy was hollering saying stop him, or catch him, tackle him, whatever” Contreras said. “And he’s just bailing running, and out of nowhere I hear that guy yelling so I’m just like, well, I’m right here. I didn‘t think about it, it was just reaction. I didn’t hesitate, just do it. So I went to tackle him and another gentlemen did the same thing, and as I’m tackling him I see his weapon fall out of his hand or sleeve. We held him down, and it seemed like forever but was probably only 30 seconds, and me and the other gentlemen were hollering at on goers ‘where’s the cops?”