NEWS
Tragedy Struck in Kansas City Chiefs parade, At least one dead and 14 injured as gunmen open fire in Union Station while a MILLION gathered to watch Travis Kelce and chiefs celebrate Win
At least 14 people have been shot and one has been killed in a horror shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade.
Two gunmen opened fire inside Union Station shortly after 3:30pm, seconds after the team including Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes left the stage.
Terrifying footage captured the frantic aftermath of the shooting as panicked fans ran for their lives.
Groups of fans were seen heroically tackling an armed man to the ground and police said two gunmen were detained, although their identities remain unclear.
Unconfirmed reports indicate multiple children may also have been gunned down in the tragic celebration, and were rushed to nearby Children’s Mercy Hospital.
Kansas City Fire reportedly said that of the nine people injured, five were ‘serious’, three were ‘critical’, and one person has non-life-threatening injuries.
Police evacuated the train station as huge crowds fled in panic after the shots rang out, with up to one million people expected to have descended on Kansas City for the parade.
Frantic scenes outside the station also included a man appearing to try and sprint from the crowd, before several men tackled him and pinned him to the ground.
Missouri is an open carry state and it is possible that numerous fans in the crowd were also carrying firearms.
The men who tackled the alleged assailant to the ground exclaimed: ‘We got him – we got the gun!’
A different man in a red hoodie was also pictured being arrested, although it is unclear if he was one of those involved in the shooting.
Kansas City PD Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference around two hours after the shooting that officers quickly apprehended one of the shooters.
‘Officers ran towards danger, and we thank them for that,’ she said.
‘I’m angry at what happened today. People should expect a safe environment,’ Graves continued, noting that over 800 law enforcement were stationed at the parade.
Officers are now evacuating the streets surrounding the train station, and police stress that the situation remains ‘fluid.’
The shooting unfolded on the sixth anniversary of the Parkland shooting, when 17 people were killed and 17 others were injured.
Police said they were releasing all of those inside Union Station around 15 minutes after the shooting unfolded, but ordered crowds to remain away from the area.
Around an hour after the shooting unfolded, people inside the nearby Westin Hotel were ordered to take shelter as police raced toward the hotel.
BREAKING: Multiple people were shot in Kansas City near the Chiefs Super Bowl parade and two people are in custody, police say. https://t.co/Caws11kWG0 pic.twitter.com/oh2xQhpxJG
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 14, 2024
Officers cornered an armed person inside an armed parking garage between the Westin Hotel and Union Station, reports KC Star reporter Glenn Rice. It is not clear if this armed person was involved in the parade shooting.
The live broadcast on KSHB 41 showed crowds outside Union Station, where the parade finished, rapidly dispersing with some jumping barriers to make a hasty getaway.
Presenters said that members of the crowd were telling them to get down and people were rushing indoors.
They added that crew members had said they heard a number of loud noises before the fans began fleeing the scene near the World War One museum and memorial.
Just now a surge of police toward Westin hotel pic.twitter.com/w6IwJQxPfG
— Vahe Gregorian (@vgregorian) February 14, 2024
Officials stressed that the incident is a ‘fluid situation’, and information could change rapidly as the situation develops.
Player Drue Tranquill said on X shortly after the shooting: ‘Please join me in prayer for all the victims in this heinous act.
‘Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing.’
Patrick Mahomes said: ‘Praying for Kansas City.’
‘Praying for everyone in Kansas City at the parade,’ added Justin Reid.
Witnesses described terrifying scenes as the family occasion descended into nightmarish scenes.
Gabe Wallace, a sophomore at local Shawnee Mission East, told the Kansas City Star that he was quickly separated from his friends as the carnage unfolded.
He said his only thoughts were ‘my friends are dead’, and said coach Andy Reid comforted him.
Rick Burkholder, a staffer for the Kansas City Chiefs team, said shortly after that Coach Reid was rushed to safety, and he and his family were ‘safe and on a bus headed to Arrowhead.’