A blast of gunfire killed one person and wounded as many as 15 outside a landmark railroad station in Kansas City, Missouri, where the NFL champion Chiefs were celebrating their Super Bowl victory, sending crowds of fans scurrying for safety.
Police Chief Stacey Graves told a press conference that two suspects were in custody. Police earlier said the two were armed. She said one shooting victim had been killed and that 10 to 15 people in all had been struck by gunfire.
Fans leave the area after gun shots were fired after the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII, Kansas City, Missouri, on 14th February, 2024. PICTURE: David Rainey-USA Today Sports
Graves said she was aware of reports that some fans may have participated in the pursuit and capture of at least one of the suspects, but that was unconfirmed. Some 800 law enforcement officers were at the rally and parade that preceded it.
All of the Chiefs players, coaches and staff who attended the victory rally were accounted for and safe, Mayor Quinton Lucas told reporters.
Children’s Mercy Kansas City received patients from the incident and invited parents to contact the medical center if they believe their child might be in their care.
“Shots were fired west of Union Station near the garage and multiple people were struck,” Kansas City police said in an initial post on the social media platform X. “We took two armed people into custody for more investigation.”
Eyewitness video posted on social media platforms showed pandemonium outside the station with dozens of uniformed police officers, weapons drawn, running into the building as scores of bystanders fled in the opposite direction.
Rapid-fire gunfire was audible in footage posted online by ABC News.
Union Station, a 109-year-old Beaux Arts building that once served as a major US rail hub for passenger and freight traffic, is home to a museum and visiting attractions today and a terminal for Amtrak passenger service.
Its website describes its vision to “be Kansas City’s iconic symbol of inclusion, inspiration, lifelong learning, and its center for civic celebration.”
NFL video from the Super Bowl celebration showed Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on stage with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other teammates, but Kelce’s pop superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift, was back on tour in Australia at the time.
Mahomes said on X: “Praying for Kansas City,” followed by several praying-hands emojis
Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill, who was at the parade, asked on social media for prayers: “Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing.”
Fans leave the area after gun shots were fired after the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII, Kansas City, Missouri, on 14th February, 2024. PICTURE: David Rainey-USA Today Sports
Missouri Governor Mike Parson and his wife were in attendance when shots were fired near the train station, but were safe and secure following the incident, he said in a message posted to X, thanking law enforcement for its response.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly was also present at the rally when the shots were fired.
The Chiefs on Sunday defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to win the Super Bowl, 25-22.
On 17th June, 1933, Union Station was the site of an outdoor shootout and murder of four law enforcement officers and a criminal fugitive in a notorious incident known as the Kansas City Massacre.
Wednesday’s violence took place on the sixth anniversary of one of the most famous mass shootings in recent US history, when 17 people were killed and 17 more were injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The shooter in that incident, a former student who was 19 at the time, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.
– With reporting by DAN WIHITCOMB in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by BRAD BROOKS, KANISHKA SINGH, RICH MCKAY and DANIEL TROTTA
