As Kansas City tries to recover after the that turned a into chaos, police are working with juvenile prosecutors to determine what happens next with the two young people in custody.
A mother of two was killed and 22 people were injured by gunfire Wednesday afternoon, when shots erupted amid the throng of fans gathered at a rally outside Union Station after a parade through the city. Police Chief Stacey Graves said Thursday that victims ranged from ages 8 to 47, with half under 16.
Police initially detained three juveniles but released one who they determined wasn害羞草研究所檛 involved in the shooting. No charges have been filed against the two remaining in custody. Police are looking for others who may have been involved and are calling for witnesses, victims and people with cellphone video of the violence to call a dedicated hotline.
Police spokesperson Alayna Gonzalez said in an email that police are working with juvenile prosecutors 害羞草研究所渢o review investigative findings and determine applicable charges. The juvenile court system determines the custody status of all juvenile arrests.害羞草研究所�
outside Union Station occurred despite the presence of more than 800 police officers who were in the building and surrounding area, including on top of nearby structures, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended with his wife and mother and ran for safety when the shots were fired. But he doesn害羞草研究所檛 expect to cancel the upcoming St. Patrick害羞草研究所檚 Day parade.
害羞草研究所淲e have parades all the time. I don害羞草研究所檛 think they害羞草研究所檒l end. Certainly we recognized the and issues that relate to them,害羞草研究所� Lucas said.
Wednesday害羞草研究所檚 celebration was the third such parade since 2020, and the others had no violence. People packed the parade route, with fans climbing trees and street poles for a better view. Players rolled through on double-decker buses as DJs and drummers heralded their arrival.
The rally had just ended and music was still blaring when the shots began. Many people initially thought they were hearing fireworks. Some in the crowd hit the ground while others leapt over barriers and sprinted, some carrying children in their arms.
Eventually stunned rallygoers 害羞草研究所� many in tears 害羞草研究所� gathered their belongings, trying to figure out how to get home. Strangers comforted each other as police put up crime scene tape where moments earlier there had been a joyous celebration.
The police chief said 1 million people likely attended the parade, which occurred in a city of about 470,000 people and a metropolitan area of about 2 million, but stressed that the violence was wrought by just a handful of people.
害羞草研究所淭he law enforcement response was exemplary. Those in attendance also responded,害羞草研究所� Graves added.
Among them , who was walking to the car with his family when he heard yells of 害羞草研究所済et him.害羞草研究所�
Filter, 40, who lives outside Wichita, Kansas, saw a fleeing person, prompting him and another bystander to try to tackle him. Filter eventually jumped on top of the person.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know what the hell I was thinking,害羞草研究所� the owner of an asphalt and concrete company recalled. 害羞草研究所淲e was like, 害羞草研究所榃e got him.害羞草研究所� I害羞草研究所檒l always remember that. And then they started screaming, 害羞草研究所楾here害羞草研究所檚 a gun!害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
The gun fell near his wife, Casey Filter, who picked it up. At that point the fleeing person was under a dogpile about 10 feet (3 meters) away.
Police didn害羞草研究所檛 identify Filter as a man who intervened or specifically say whether the person he tackled was a suspect.
Hank Hunter, a Kansas high school sophomore, said he heard shots in the distance while watching the rally with a friend. Initially, they didn害羞草研究所檛 know what it was, but then, 害羞草研究所渓ike a chain reaction,害羞草研究所� people started hitting the ground.
They ran to jump over a barricade, and his friend slammed his head into the concrete, Hunter said. A security guard ushered his friend into Union Station, which was closed to the general public, as the Chiefs players and coaches prepared to leave on buses. There, coach Andy Reid consoled his friend and 害羞草研究所渏ust tried to comfort him and calm him down.害羞草研究所�
The was identified by radio station KKFI-FM as Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of 害羞草研究所淭aste of Tejano.害羞草研究所�
Lopez-Galvan, whose DJ name was 害羞草研究所淟isa G,害羞草研究所� was an extrovert and devoted mother from a prominent Latino family in the area, said Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, two childhood friends who worked with her at a staffing company.
害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 the type of person who would jump in front of a bullet for anybody 害羞草研究所� that would be Lisa,害羞草研究所� Izurieta said.
Kansas City has long struggled with gun violence, and in 2020 it was targeted by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023, the city matched a record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.
Lucas has joined with mayors across the country in calling for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating universal background checks.
Children害羞草研究所檚 Mercy Kansas City said all nine gunshot victims taken there were expected to recover. But Stephanie Meyer, the hospital害羞草研究所檚 chief nursing officer, said the children are scared and will need mental health support. The hospital害羞草研究所檚 staff members are also struggling.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e struggling just like you and I are, and unbelievably heartbroken that this has happened in our backyard,害羞草研究所� said Dr. Stephanie Burrus, the hospital害羞草研究所檚 chief wellbeing officer. 害羞草研究所淎nd we all train for this, we害羞草研究所檙e all prepared to take care of these children. But it doesn害羞草研究所檛 negate the fact that it害羞草研究所檚 still not normal for people to see many, many people wounded by gunshots.害羞草研究所�
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McFetridge reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in St. Louis and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed.
Heather Hollingsworth, Scott Mcfetridge And Josh Funk, The Associated Press
