A mass shooting occurred at Wednesday’s Super Bowl victory parade for the Kansas City Chiefs football team, with gunshots erupting and multiple people struck.
Authorities have confirmed at least one person was killed and at least 21 were injured by gunfire. At least eight children were among those shot and eight people had immediately life-threatening injuries.
The shooting occurred at the end of the parade, which was expected to be attended by more than a million people, and sent terrified fans fleeing as police raced to find the perpetrators.
Police have detained three people in connection with the shooting, and recovered firearms from the scene.
Authorities said there is not yet a clear motive and said that much remains unknown. They have asked anyone with information or video of what occurred to contact police.
The Kansas City Star identified a victim who died. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a local DJ and mother of two, died in surgery after being shot, friends told the newspaper.
The Kansas City Chiefs issued a statement, describing the incident as a “senseless act of violence” and said “our hearts go out to the victims, their families and all of Kansas City”. None of their players or staff were harmed.
Other players responded, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes and teammate Travis Kelce, who said he was “heartbroken”.
The Missouri governor, Mike Parson, and his wife were at the Chiefs rally when the shooting occurred and were unharmed.
The US president, Joe Biden, has released a statement on the shooting, calling for tougher gun control measures and saying that he and first lady Jill will “pray for those killed and injured”.
Witnesses have spoken of their horror and desperation after gunshots rang out, sparking panic among the tens of thousands who had turned out to celebrate.
The Kansas City police chief, Stacey Graves, said she was aware of reports that some fans may have helped apprehend of at least one of the suspects, but did not confirm that that occurred. Investigators were reviewing video footage, she said.
Graves used a press conference to praise the bravery of law enforcement officers and denounce the violence. “This is not Kansas City. I’m angry [about] what has happened … All the law enforcement that were there did the best they could, and I’m so proud of them, that they ran into danger.”
Kansas City’s mayor, Quinton Lucas, connected the tragedy back to the epidemic of mass shootings in the US and called for more action to stop them. “Today was tragic for everyone who was part of it,” Lucas said, adding that his wife put it into perspective when he called her after the shooting. “We became part of a statistic of too many Americans – those who have experienced or been part of or connected to a mass shooting,” he quoted her as saying.
