At least eight people wounded in shooting at Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade
Multiple people were struck by gunfire in Missouriduring a Super Bowl victory parade for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fire officials said that eight to 10 people were injured during the incident, that occurred around 2pm on Wednesday.
Local station KMBC9 later said, per the fire department, that 10 people had been shot. One person had been killed, and three victims were in critical condition, the outlet reported.
Four others were reportedly in serious condition, while one person had non-life threatening injuries.
Two armed people were taken into custody. The Kansas City Fire Department confirmed the shooting and described the incident as a “fluid situation.”
Fire department spokesperson Michael Hopkins told CNN that five additional victims have also sought medical attention for injuries from the event. It is unsure if they are also gunshot victims.
“Shots were fired west of Union Station near the garage and multiple people were struck,” Kansas City police said on the social media platform X. “We took two armed people into custody for more investigation.”
CBS reported that between 12 and 15 shots were heard.
The University Health Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, later confirmed it had received five people from Union Station, according to the medical center’s managing communications director Keith King.
According to King, the medical center is treating two gunshot victims. “A third gunshot victim is coming to University Health. We are treating two other people for non-gunshot related injuries,” he told CNN.
Dozens of security officials were seen rushing into Union Station in Kansas City as panicked fans scattered in the emmediate aftermath of the shooting. Officers with sniper rifles were also seen posted on the surrounding rooftops.
Police said that several children were separated from their parents in the scramble.
Child reunification stations were located at 2301 Main and inside the main entrance of Union Station. “We still have several needing reunification. Contact the officer nearest you for reunification information,” police said on X.
Pictures later showed wounded fans being helped away from the scene, some being carried out on stretchers.
Fans were urged to exit the area as quickly as possible. Around 100 police vehicles were reported to be in the area in the moments following the shooting, per CBS.
Downtown Kansas City had been a sea of red for Valentine’s Day as Chiefs fans celebrated their third Super Bowl title in five seasons with a parade. On Sunday the team came-from-behind to win 25-22 in overtime against the San Francisco 49ers.
The players – including stars Patrick Mahomes and travis Kelce – were all stood on top of double-decker buses as confetti canons exploded in the streets on Wednesday.
It is not known whether US megastar Taylor Swift would join her boyfriend, Kelce, for the parade and victory speeches. The Cruel Summer singer has not commented, though she has a show in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday night, the first of three scheduled concerts on her Eras Tour.
She was nowhere to be seen early in the parade. Instead, Kelce was joined by his mother, Donna Kelce.
Chiefs quarterback Mahomes posted on X as the chaos continued to unfold, writing: “Praying for Kansas City…”
Lisa Money of Kansas City, Kansas, was trying to gather some confetti near the end of the parade when she heard somebody yell, “Down, down, everybody down!” Ms Money thought somebody might be joking until she saw the SWAT team jumping over the fence.
“I can’t believe it really happened. Who in their right mind would do something like this? This is supposed to be a day of celebration for everybody in the city and the surrounding area. and then you’ve got some idiot that wants to come along and do something like this,” she told The Associated Press.
Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But he said 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up.
“It sucks that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Mr Sanders said.
Kansas state Senator Jerry Moran wrote: “Praying for all those involved. Thank you to our brave law enforcement and first responders for acting quickly. Please be safe as you leave the area.”
Wednesday 14 February also marks the anniversary of the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press
