Gunfire at the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade Wednesday left one person dead and more than 20 others injured, according to reports. Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said during a news conference on Wednesday that 22 people had been shot. The shooting took place outside of Union Station in downtown Kansas City, right as the post-parade rally ended. Thousands of fans scattered at the sound of gunshots, and attendees reported a chaotic scene as several people suffered injuries in the stampede.
Police announced that local radio DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan had been killed in the shooting. The rest of the victims are being treated at several local hospitals. According to CNN, at least 29 people have been treated for injuries related to the shooting. Twelve people were taken to University Health, eight of whom with gunshot wounds, and three in critical condition; one gunshot victim is being treated at The University of Kansas Health System; one person is in critical condition at Saint Luke’s Hospital, while three others walked in with minor injuries; and a spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Hospital said they are treating 12 victims, 11 of whom are children, and nine of whom suffered gunshot wounds, though all are expected to recover.
Chief Graves said that three people had been detained in connection with the shooting, but did not elaborate on a suspect or motive. At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Graves confirmed that the police had "recovered firearms" following the shooting, but declined to specify what type of guns they found, saying "I don’t have a number for you or a caliber." In response to videos that showed fans tackling someone after the shooting, Graves didn't say whether that was one of the people detained.
Kansas City players and others within the NFL released statements condemning the shooting. "When are we going to fix these gun laws?" Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu tweeted. "How many more people have to die to say enough is enough? It’s too easy for the wrong people to obtain guns in America and that’s a FACT."
Missouri has some of the loosest gun laws in the country, and one of the highest death rates. In 2007, the state repealed an 80-year-old law requiring anyone purchasing a handgun to first pass a background check and obtain a permit, and the murder rate immediately jumped 14 percent, per Johns Hopkins Public Health researchers. State law allows gun owners to open carry and concealed-carry guns without requiring a permit, though Kansas City laws require owners to have a permit to carry within the city limits.
