Kansas City Chiefs: One dead and several injured after shooting during victory parade

Dhe Kansas City Chiefs' big parade after their fourth Super Bowl title was overshadowed by a serious incident: shots were fired on the sidelines of the event on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 21 others, according to new reports. This included eight people with “immediately life-threatening” injuries and seven with “life-threatening injuries,” Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said at a press conference on Wednesday (local time). Six people suffered minor injuries.

The fire brigade initially spoke of nine injuries, three of whom were in mortal danger and five of whom were seriously injured. Before the new number of injuries was announced, Children's Mercy Hospital told AFP that it was treating at least 12 victims of the gun attack. These included eleven children, nine of whom suffered gunshot wounds.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at the news conference that a third suspect had been arrested following the incident in the Missouri city.

The connection to the parade is initially unclear

The incident is said to have occurred near a parking garage at Union Station as the parade was nearing its end. Shortly before the shooting, Chiefs players had spoken to fans near the train station. It was initially unclear whether the crime was connected to the victory parade. TV images showed how the event site was evacuated. The police instructed people on the online platform X (formerly Twitter) to leave the parade site “as quickly and safely as possible”. Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes wrote on X that he was praying for Kansas City.

Parade in the red double-decker bus

Tens of thousands of people celebrated the Chiefs on Wednesday in a sea of ​​red and gold confetti as they marched along a three-kilometer route through the streets of Kansas City. Players and coaches traveled on a red double-decker bus and took selfies with fans, many of whom had arrived early to secure good seats. Since many schools remained closed for the day, there were also many children among them. According to ABC News, around a million people were expected to attend the celebration.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25:22 after overtime in Las Vegas in the National Football League final on Sunday. The Chiefs had previously won the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 1970, 2020 and 2023.

According to the media, superstar Taylor Swift did not accompany her boyfriend Travis Kelce at the parade and victory speeches, unlike on Sunday. As several portals consistently reported, the singer has already landed in Melbourne, Australia, where she is performing on Friday evening.