At least one person is dead and others are injured after a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration Wednesday afternoon.
Police said shots were fired after a rally at Union Station. Officers could be seen running into Union Station with guns drawn.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said one person was killed and 22 were injured, but police were still gathering information. Children’s Mercy hospital reported treating 12 patients, 11 of them children. Nine of the children had gunshot wounds and all of those being treated at Children’s Mercy are expected to make full recoveries. The injured children ranged in age from 6 to 15.
Three people have been taken into custody. One person was shown being chased and tackled in a video posted on social media, and Graves said police were working to determine if that person was one of the three arrested.
Police said there were reports of shots fired on the west side of Union Station. Their early numbers had eight people with critical injuries and seven with serious injuries. It’s not clear what led to the shooting.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly was attending the rally, and she said on social media that she was evacuated and she is safe. Missouri Governor Mike Parson and his wife were safely evacuated from the area. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said he was also attending the rally and he said in a press release, “I am devastated and angered by the senseless act of violence that turned a day of celebration for our community into a complete tragedy. During this chaos, our team thankfully made it to shelter safely. My heart breaks for those who were a victim of this needless violence. I am praying for everyone and the entire KC community.”
There were reports that Chiefs team members and staff were safe after the shooting.
Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas said he is angry at the shooting, and he said it’s a tragedy that there would be “gun violence, marring a day like this.” He expressed thanks to the police officers who ran toward the incident, and to the firefighters and paramedics who were treating the injured. Lucas said the White House called to offer any help.
[ photo credit: Reuters, Kirby Lee ]
