Things to know about the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration

Kansas City, Mo. –

Members of the Kansas City community are expected to gather Saturday afternoon to “demand a future free from gun violence” a day after authorities announced that two juveniles had been detained on gun-related and resisting arrest charges in the shooting after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration.

The shooting happened Wednesday outside the city’s historic Union Station. One woman was killed and 22 people were injured — about half of whom were under the age of 16. Police said a dispute may have led to the shooting, which happened despite the presence of more than 800 police officers.

Gunshots rang out at the end of the celebration. Fans had lined the parade route. Some even climbed trees and street poles or stood on rooftops to watch as players passed by on double-decker buses. The team said all players, coaches, staffers and their families were safe and accounted for after the shooting.

Mayor Quinton Lucas, Missouri lawmakers and advocates were expected to speak at Saturday’s rally to honor the victims and demand action to curb gun violence. Lucas attended Wednesday’s parade his wife and mother and ran for safety when shots were fired.

Here’s what we know:

THE VICTIMS

The 22 people injured ranged in age from eight to 47, police Chief Stacey Graves said at a news conference Thursday. A mother of two was killed.

Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the host of “Taste of Tejano,” was killed, her radio station, KKFI-FM, confirmed. Lopez-Galvan, whose DJ name was “Lisa G,” was an extrovert and devoted mother, said Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, two childhood friends who worked with her at a staffing company.

Lopez-Galvan attended the parade with her husband and adult son, a Kansas City sports fan who also was shot, Izurieta said.

Lopez-Galvan played at weddings, quinceañeras and at an American Legion bar and grill, mixing Tejano, Mexican and Spanish music with R&B and hip hop. Lopez-Galvan’s family is active in the Latino community, and her father founded the city’s first mariachi group, Mariachi Mexico, in the 1980s, Izurieta and Ramirez said.

Taylor Swift was among those donating to GoFundMe pages set up for Lopez-Galvan’s family. Swift, who is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, made two US$50,000 donations Friday.

As of Friday, most of the injured had been released from hospitals.

THE WITNESSES

The police chief said the parade likely attracted one million people in the city with a population of about 508,000 and a metropolitan area of about 2.2 million.

Trey Filter, of Wichita, Kansas, said he was walking to his car with his wife and two children when he saw “a mess starting to unfold.” He and another man tackled a person and kept him pinned down until officers arrived. It wasn’t immediately clear if the person was involved in the shooting. But Filter’s wife, Casey, saw a gun nearby and picked it up.

Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith shared his WWE title belt to help calm a young boy. Smith, who sported the belt during the celebration, noticed the frightened boy, who was with his father. He told Good Morning America that he and long snapper James Winchester were among those sheltering in a closet and that Winchester “was very instrumental in keeping people calm.”

Gene Hamilton, 61, of Wichita, Kansas, said he was sitting in the area when he heard what sounded like a lot of fireworks and everyone was running.

Manuel Vigil, 43, said he heard shots that sounded like fireworks as he posed for pictures with a group near where a band had played.

Kansas City officials have set up tents in a city park, near the rally’s location, to let people pick up items left behind in the panic. Staff will help people find their belongs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Tuesday.

CITY’S HISTORY

Kansas City has struggled with gun violence, and in 2020 it was among nine cities chosen by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023, the city matched its record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.

Lucas has joined with mayors across the country in calling for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating universal background checks.

MISSOURI GUN LAWS

Wednesday’s shooting occurred in a state with few gun regulations and historic tension over how cities handle crime. But what, if any, action Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature will take in response to the shooting is unclear. Dozens of policymakers from Missouri and neighboring Kansas were caught in the chaos. Some have vowed to take action. Efforts to make it harder to own and possess firearms are unlikely to pass in the state’s GOP-led Legislature. A rare exception to Republicans’ fierce resistance to gun regulations is an effort to crack down on celebratory gunfire, which has been an issue in Kansas City.

VIOLENCE AT SPORTS CELEBRATIONS

The shooting was the latest at a sports celebration in the U.S. A shooting wounded several people last year in Denver after the Nuggets’ NBA championship.

CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION SECURITY

Kansas City’s mayor and security experts say it could be time to rethink championship celebrations. Lucas said Thursday that the city will continue to celebrate its victories, and next month’s St. Patrick’s Day parade will go on as scheduled. But he told local television station KMBC that if the Chiefs win another Super Bowl, it might be better to have a smaller party at their home stadium, where security can be managed more easily. Security experts say large gatherings and the prevalence of guns can be a deadly combination.

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