Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. The Lions won 21-20. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Total Breakdown: Andy Reid broke down in tears when he broke the awful news about this important player and provided a heartbreaking update.
Following a shooting on Wednesday afternoon that left 21 people injured, including several children, at least one person dead and the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Super Bowl triumph parade transformed into a horrific and chaotic sight.
Three people have been detained in relation to the shooting outside Union Station, which happened just as the celebration was coming to an end, according to Kansas City, Missouri, authorities.
Eleven youngsters, nine of whom had gunshot wounds, are receiving treatment at youngsters’s Mercy Kansas City as part of the injured. According to a statement released by the hospital on Wednesday night, Stephanie Meyer, senior vice-president, all of the kids are anticipated to heal from their wounds. The minors under the hospital’s care range in age from six to fifteen. There, an adult who is a child’s parent is also receiving care.
In a statement, Joe Biden urged action on gun reform, stating that it “cuts deep in the American soul” for an incident of this nature to take place during a Super Bowl parade.
The events of today ought to shock, move, and embarrass us into taking action. Why do we still have to wait? What more must we observe? How many more broken families are there to be broken? He stated.
In order to get Congress to take action to outlaw assault weapons, restrict magazines with a large capacity, and tighten background checks, the president urged citizens to voice their concerns.
The shooting’s connection to the parade, which featured the Super Bowl champions and the governors of Missouri and Kansas, Mike Parson and Laura Kelly, was not immediately apparent. However, as the gunshots started, hundreds of fans who had congregated to celebrate the Chiefs’ Super Bowl triumph against the 49ers on Sunday fled for safety.
Witnesses gave terrifying descriptions of escaping gunfire. The Kansas City Star was informed by a high school student that he hurt himself trying to escape the gunfire.
“There’s a shooter, get over the damn fence right now,” the security guy yelled. Gabe Wallace told the newspaper, “I nailed the concrete with my face when I was hopping over the barricade and my foot hit it.”
He said to the Star, “I don’t know if my friends are okay.” “It’s awful… Honestly, I’m thinking that most of my buddies have passed away. All I could think to myself was, “Are my friends dead or not?”
16-year-old Hank Hunter, who came from Westwood, Kansas, to attend the celebration, told the Star that while he and a friend were running, he heard what sounded like multiple gunshots.
“We detected gunfire. Hunter remarked, “It sounded like a multitude of shots.” He added that while he did not witness the gunman, he did witness numerous police officers reacting to the incident.
Both officials and sports celebrities strongly denounced the violence. In a statement, the NFL team said that all of its players, employees, and families were safe and described the shooting as a “senseless act of violence.”
The players gave thanks to the responding emergency personnel. While colleague Drue Tranquill urged people to “pray that doctors and first responders would have steady hands and that all would experience full healing,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tweeted on X that he was “praying for Kansas City.” Travis Kelce, a tight end, tweeted, “KC, you mean the world to me,” expressing his “heartbreak.”
Chiefs guard Trey Smith wrote on X, saying, “A big thank you to the first responders who ran towards the sound of danger. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by today’s incidents.” It’s you who deserve to be honored today.
The police chief of Kansas City, Stacey Graves, spoke during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. She commended the bravery of the policemen who “ran into danger” and stated that the violence would have a lasting impact on both Kansas City and the witnesses.
“What happened here today is going to have a lasting impact on a lot more people,” she continued.
Quinton Lucas, the mayor of the city, expressed his severe displeasure at what had transpired. He declared, “I’m as heartbroken as anybody.” “When individuals choose to carry firearms to gatherings, we all become members of a group that none of us desires to belong to—those who have experienced mass shootings.”
One of the victims of the shooting on Wednesday has been identified by The Kansas City Star. The local DJ and mother of two, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, was shot in the abdomen, and friends verified her death during surgery, according to the newspaper.
A acquaintance described her as “the most wonderful, beautiful person” to the press. She was a DJ in the area. She performed all of the marriages. Everyone is familiar with her. She had such a vibrant life.
Officials stated at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon that they were currently only aware of one death.
Six years to the day after 17 people were shot dead in the Parkland high school massacre in Florida, a mass shooting occurred that sparked resentment over the widespread incidence of mass shootings in the United States.
Mayor Lucas demanded more action to stop gun violence and made a connection between the tragedy and the ongoing situation.
He said, “Today was tragic for everyone who was part of it,” and that when he phoned his wife after the shooting, she helped him put things in perspective. He cited her as saying, “We became part of a statistic of too many Americans – those who have experienced, been part of, or connected to a mass shooting.”
