Super Bowl Parade Rocked by Tragedy

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes guided the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch their second consecutive Super Bowl victory on February 11. Their overtime triumph over the San Francisco 49ers marked the team’s third championship win within a span of five years. However, the celebratory mood turned somber when a mass shooting disrupted the victory parade upon their return to Kansas City with the Lombardi Trophy.

On February 14th, the Chiefs embarked on open-air buses and traversed a parade route in Kansas City, Missouri. The governors of both Kansas and Missouri were present, alongside hundreds of thousands of fans from both regions. As the event neared its conclusion, gunfire broke out, causing chaos and prompting people to flee in panic.

At a press briefing, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves briefed the media that the shooting resulted in injuries to 22 individuals and the loss of one life. The deceased individual, Elizabeth “Lisa” Lopez-Galvan, was a popular radio DJ known for her show “A Taste of Tejano.” She was a mother of two, one of whom was present at the event and also sustained a gunshot wound but survived. Singer Taylor Swift, who is romantically involved with Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, made a generous donation of $100,000 to the late DJ’s family.

Graves stated that the shooting victims spanned from eight to 47 years old, with at least half of them being under 16. Thankfully, all injured individuals are anticipated to recover. The police chief disclosed that three individuals were apprehended, with one being released, while two juveniles were still detained at the time of her briefing. Additionally, the chief commended the actions of bystanders who intervened and subdued a person they suspected was linked to the shooting.

One of the altruistic individuals, US Navy veteran Tony Janssens, shared his account of the event with Fox News. He recounted observing individuals he suspected were the shooters attempting to flee and promptly informed an officer. Upon seeing one of them sprinting away, he pursued and shouted to those nearby to apprehend the suspect. Janssens mentioned that four men eventually responded and subdued the suspected gunman.