1 killed, dozens injured in Kansas City Super Bowl parade shooting

A blast of gunfire killed at least one person and wounded 21 others in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, where the NFL champion Chiefs were celebrating their Super Bowl victory, sending crowds of fans scurrying for safety.

At least 22 people were struck by gunfire, one of them fatally, with 15 of those wounded suffering life-threatening injuries, Fire Department Chief Ross Grundyson said at a late-afternoon news conference.

Some of those injured were children. According to a hospital spokesperson from Children's Mercy Kansas City, they treated a dozen patients from the rally, 11 of whom were juveniles, with nine victims suffering gunshot wounds.

No Chinese citizens were injured in the shooting, confirmed the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago after contacting the Kansas City Police Department.

Police Chief Stacey Graves told a press conference that three people were detained "and are under investigation for today's incident" outside the city's landmark Union Station, adding that investigators had no known motive for the gun violence.

The police chief said she was aware of reports that some fans may have participated in the pursuit and capture of at least one of the suspects, and investigators were reviewing video footage of the incident.

Police are collecting physical and digital evidence, conducting interviews and questioning victims, Graves said. "There's a lot of work ahead; this is just the beginning stages, but we're moving as fast as we can," she said.

Federal law enforcement has been assisting, according to the White House.

U.S. President Joe Biden called on Americans on Wednesday to support his call for Congress to ban assault weapons, stating that the deadly shooting at a Super Bowl victory parade in Kansas City "cuts deep." Biden said in a White House statement, "Today's events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting.

An estimated one million people were in downtown Kansas City for the parade and rally to mark the Chiefs' repeat championship win. Players were still on the stage of the victory rally when the shooting took place.

Some 800 law enforcement officers were present at the rally and parade, including agents from the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

All Chiefs players, coaches and staff who attended the victory rally were accounted for and safe, the National Football League team said in a statement.

The barrage of gunshots, fired outside near a garage by the station, came at the end of the victory rally following a parade, according to police.

Video posted on social media 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.

The Kansas City Chiefs said in a statement it was saddened by the shooting and called it a "senseless act of violence." The National Football League said its thoughts are "with the victims and everyone affected" and thanked law enforcement. Some individual players also shared messages of support on social media.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas mentioned the prevalence of guns and gun violence in the U.S., making it difficult to provide complete security for any public event. Even with several hundred law enforcement officers on patrol, as they were for the Chiefs' victory parade and rally, ensuring complete security remains a challenge.

The shooting in Kansas City was at least the 48th mass shooting in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Wednesday's violence took place on the sixth anniversary of one of the most famous mass shootings in recent U.S. history, when 17 people were killed and 17 more 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 input from Reuters)

(Cover: Law enforcement officers look around the scene after a shooting incident following the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade in Kansas City, U.S., February 14, 2024. /CFP)