In a tragic turn of events, the victory parade held in Kansas City, Missouri, to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl win, was marred by a shooting incident that left 22 people wounded and a mother of two dead.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, west of Union Station, where the parade was winding down. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department (KCMPD) has since confirmed that the shooting was not an act of terrorism, but rather the result of a personal dispute.
The alleged gunman was subdued by two brave fathers who were present at the parade with their children. However, this intervention came too late for Elizabeth Galvan, a 43-year-old radio disc jockey and mother of two, who was fatally shot. The victims of the shooting ranged in age from 8 to 47, with at least half of them being under the age of 16.
KCMPD Chief Stacey Graves, in a statement to the New York Times, praised the heroic actions of the bystanders who intervened. "They helped one another and even physically stopped a person who was believed to be involved in the incident," said Graves. "Your selfless act did not go unnoticed."
Jacob Gooch Sr., a survivor of the shooting, recounted the moments leading up to the incident to "CBS Mornings." He described an altercation he overheard, during which a girl pleaded, "Don't do it. Not here. This is stupid." Gooch, his wife, and his son were all wounded in the shooting, while his daughter was left unharmed.
Gooch also noted that he had been suspicious of a group of individuals dressed in black who had been present at the parade. "We were standing ... on the left side of the stage when the shooting ended up happening, and right before it ended up happening, there was this group dressed in all black, about four, five, six kids looked like kids with black on, black masks, and they disappeared into the crowd," he said.
Two teenagers are currently in police custody in connection with the shooting. While no charges have been filed yet, Graves indicated that the department has a 24-hour window to do so, or the suspects will have to be released. The police are also investigating the possibility of others being involved in the incident.
Graves stated, "It should be noted that we have recovered several firearms." This incident is another addition to the city's long-standing issue with violence, particularly gang- and youth-related violence. Last month, a shooting at a popular shopping mall in downtown Kansas City left six people wounded. The Kansas City Star reported that the incident was triggered by a disturbance between two groups of youths.
The city, which is run by Democrats, set a record last year for homicides, with at least 185 slayings. Over 240 were slain across the metro area, a significant increase from the 171 homicides recorded the previous year. This incident underscores the urgent need for effective measures to curb the escalating violence in the city.
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