Kansas City shooting: Two teens charged as children released from hospital

Thousands of fans were gathered in Kansas City to celebrate the Chief’s Super Bowl triumph

Witness describes moment he tackled man at Kansas City Chiefs rally

Two juveniles have been charged in connection to Wednesday’s shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade.

“The juveniles are currently detained in secure detention at the Juvenile Detention Center on gun related and resisting arrest charges,” the Jackson County Family Court Division said in a statement. “It is anticipated that additional charges are expected in the future as the investigation by the Kansas City Police Department continues.”

Officials have yet to release the suspects’ names.

Of the 22 people who suffered gunshot injuries during the shooting, more than half of the victims are under the age of 16, police said.

The victims ranged in age from eight to 47 years old.

The deceased has been identified as local DJ and mother-of-two, Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan.

A GoFundMe started by the family of Ms Lopez-Galvan raised more than $190,000 with Taylor Swift donating most of the proceeds.

On the official GoFundMe page, the top donator remains to be Ms Swift, who attended the Super Bowl to cheer on her boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. Ms Swift donated $50,000 twice to the family’s fundraiser and sent her “deepest sympathies and condolences.”

On Saturday, Children’s Mercy hospital announced that all 12 shooting patients were released. A patient at another hospital remains in critical condition.

The same day, more than 100 people gathered in Kansas City for gun safety group Moms Demand Action’s rally calling to end gun violence.

Local officials, including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, were also in attendance, according to KSHB.

“I’m angry, I’m frustrated,” volunteer Tara Bennett told the outlet. “I’m frustrated because I know there are things that can be done, we just have to have the courage to do them.”

Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca also shared his experience at Wednesday’s shooting. He said he was with his daughter.

“She said, ‘Daddy this is a drill right? This is a drill?’” Mr Abarca recalled his daughter asking him. “I said, ‘Yes, it is,’ because in that moment I needed her to act like it was a drill.”

Key Points

• Shooting appeared to be from ‘dispute’ between people
• One person killed in shooting, identified as DJ by radio station
• Half of victims are under 16 years old
• Two juveniles charged over Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade mass shooting

[18 February 2024 18:00 · Kelly Rissman]

The future of Super Bowl parades in question after shooting

Local officials are wondering about fans’ safety in future Super Bowl celebrations after Wednesday’s tragedy.

“They have to think twice about having these parades,” said former Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans, who in 38 years with the department worked 12 championship parades and the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. “When you have that many people hanging around in one place, nothing good’s going to happen.”

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city would rethink the future of such celebrations and where they are held.

“If we’re blessed enough to win a Super Bowl again, do we do this again? Or do we all just say, ‘Go to Arrowhead Stadium. Walk through metal detectors. Have a very secured, vastly smaller event,’” he told local television station KMBC.

“I think a lot of us, particularly those of us who are thinking about bringing our children somewhere, may ask, at least for a little while, ‘Is this the sort of thing that we want to risk?’” he said. “It’s a shame that this is what we’ve come to today in America and in our city.”

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[18 February 2024 19:00 · Sheila Flynn]

On the day that Kansas City came out to greet its Super Bowl-winning heroes, more than a few Chiefs fans witnessed first hand off-field heroism from the city’s favourite sons – amidst the most abhorrent of circumstances.

Zach Cotten, who’d only recently celebrated his 13th birthday, was caught off-guard like the rest of the crowd around Union Station when gunshots rang out Wednesday shortly after players finished their speeches.

As chaos ensued, none other than Chiefs #25, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, materialised, “sheltering” the teen and “getting [him] to safety,” Penny Hall Cotten wrote on Facebook.

“Clyde even went back to check on Zach to make sure he was doing ok,” Ms Cotten continued. “What a great human being!”

The Chiefs running back responded on Facebook, calling Zach “brave for sure.”

Read the full story...

[18 February 2024 20:00 · Kelly Rissman]

Kansas City tragedy marked 48th mass shooting this year

The Missouri shooting that has left dozens injured and one dead marks the 48th mass shooting in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as when four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference on Thursday that half of the victims shot in the attack are children while one victim – a 43-year-old mother-of-two – died.

[18 February 2024 21:00 · Kelly Rissman]

WATCH: Witness describes moment he tackled man with gun at Kansas City Chiefs rally

[18 February 2024 22:00 · Kelly Rissman]

GoFundMe contributions for shooting victim are pouring in

A fundraiser was launched for the family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, who was killed in Wednesday’s shooting.

Lopez-Galvan “is survived by two children and her husband of 22 years,” the fund’s description states. “She was an amazing mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend to so many. We ask that you continue to keep her family in your prayers as we grieve the loss of her life. This fund will help provide vital financial support to her family as they process this unthinkable tragedy. “

Taylor Swift donated $100,000 to the fund and offered her “deepest sympathies and condolences.”

The GoFundMe page has raised more than $350,000 since it was set up.

[18 February 2024 23:00 · Kelly Rissman]

Parents voice fear about taking their children to crowded events after yet another mass shooting

[19 February 2024 01:00 · Kelly Rissman]

10-year-old discovered bullet wound at home

Ten-year-old Samuel Arellano kept telling his family he’d been hit after shots rang out Wednesday near Kansas City’s Union Station. He’d come to the parade with his grandfather, aunt and uncle, all of them massive Kansas City Chiefs fans, and they’d been reveling in the day and their Chiefs jerseys.

Samuel was particularly thrilled to see the players in person, addressing the crowd from microphones at the Union Station rally; Patrick Mahomes is his favourite.

Soon, though, the elation of the day was marred by gunshots – and Samuel felt a biting pain under his arm as training from the active shooter drills at school kicked in.

“When I heard the gunshots, I hid,” he told The Independent Thursday morning. “I fell to the ground and then hid behind a trashcan.”

Sheila Flynn has the full story...

[19 February 2024 03:00 · Kelly Rissman]

ICYMI: What we know about the victims

On Thursday, Ms Graves said the updated victim total is now 23 people, including one fatality: 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two and a local radio DJ.

Ten-year-old Samuel Arellano is another one of the gunshot victims. He attended the parade with his grandfather, aunt and uncle. A bullet struck him just under the arm.

“When I heard the gunshots, I hid,” Samuel told The Independent on Thursday morning. “I fell to the ground and then hid behind a trashcan.”

But because the gunshot wound didn’t bleed, Samuel and his family didn’t discover the wound until they arrived home. After Samuel was taken to the hospital, doctors “took some parts of the bullet out” and told Samuel’s family the injury had been within centimetres of his pulmonary artery.

Another survivor, Jacob Gooch, told CBS Mornings about the moments leading up to the shooting. Mr Gooch, his wife and his son were all shot.

“I personally did not see the shooter,” Mr Gooch said on Thursday. “I heard the altercation of a girl or some girls like, ‘don’t do it, not here, this is stupid’ or something like that. And then the gunshots, which at the time I thought were fireworks.”

Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson provided updates on the severity of all the injuries Thursday morning.

“We had one fatality that was on scene,” he said. “Eight critical, seven serious, and six patients with minor injuries. All the critical patients were transported off the scene within 10 minutes of our point of contact with them.”

Half of the victims injured by gunfire were under 16, according to Ms Graves. The youngest gunshot wound victim is just eight years old, while the oldest is 47, she told reporters.

Children’s Mercy Kansas City Hospital treated eleven children on Wednesday night, Senior vice-president and chief nursing officer Stephanie Meyer said. Nine of those children suffered gunshot wounds.

As of Thursday afternoon, eight children have been discharged and three remain in the hospital, Ms Meyer told reporters. The children who have not been discharged are expected to make a full recovery, she said.

All of the victims were spread out amongst local hospitals to ensure no one ER is overwhelmed, Jill Jensen Chadwick, news director for University of Kansas Health System, told the Associated Press.

Five gunshot victims have been discharged from the University Health hospital, a spokesperson told NBC News. The hospital received eight gunshot victims in total – two of them are in critical condition and one is stable as of Thursday morning, according to NBC News.

[19 February 2024 05:00 · Kelly Rissman]

Among the 23 people shot, one woman – Lisa Lopez-Galvan – was killed.

Lopez-Galvan was a 43-year-old mother-of-two and beloved local radio DJ. She died on scene, police said.

Her adult son and cousins, believed to be minors, also may have been wounded in the shooting, The Kansas City Star reported.

Beto Lopez, the victim’s brother, told ABC News that his sister “loved her family” and had a “life-of-the-party” personality.

“She was dearly loved in this community and gave a lot back,” Mr Lopez said.

Ms Lopez-Galvan’s two adult children and two other relatives – daughters of her cousin – were also with her at the parade, The Kansas City Star reports. Ms Lopez-Galvan’s son was shot and has since been released from the hospital, according to the outlet.

A GoFundMe page on behalf of her family has already raised $350,000.

Lisa Lopez-Galvan (Facebook/Lisa Lopez-Galvan)

[19 February 2024 07:00 · Kelly Rissman]

Recap: What we know about the shooter

On Friday morning, prosecutors with the Jackson County, Missouri Family Court Division charged two juveniles in connection with the shooting. The identities of the minors have yet to be released.

“It is anticipated that additional charges are expected in the future as the investigation by the Kansas City Police Department continues,” the Division said in a statement.

These charges come after previous updates from police about potential suspects.

In an update on Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said three people have been detained. Officials also recovered weapons, she said.

Two of those detained are minors, Ms Graves told reporters on Thursday morning.

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