One person is dead and more than 20 are injured after gunshots were fired following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade and rally Wednesday afternoon.
Kansas City, Missouri police say the gunshots were fired in the area west of Union Station, near West Pershing Road and Kessler Road at about 2 p.m.
During a news conference later Wednesday afternoon, KCPD Chief Stacey Graves confirmed that one person has died and at least 20 others were injured by gunfire.
KCPD later increased the number of people with gunshot wounds to 22.
“I’m angry at what happened today,” Chief Graves said at the news conference. “The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment.”
Graves said that more than 800 law enforcement officers from across the KC metro were providing security along the parade route and in the area of the rally at Union Station.
Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and Chief Graves says they have not determined a motive.
“It’s going to take us a little bit to determine exactly what led up to the shooting,” Graves said. “I will say that we do have two suspects in custody.”
KCUR reported that victims had been taken to various hospitals — 12 to Children’s Mercy, 12 to University Health (formerly Truman Medical Center) and 4 to St. Luke’s. Not all those victims had suffered gunshot wounds.
Johnson County Med-Act was among the numerous metro area EMS providers who were at the scene and transported injured people.
KCPD says they are working on setting up a centralized phone number for victims, witnesses, and anyone who has video of the Wednesday afternoon’s events.
The Kansas City Chiefs released a statement saying that all players, coaches, staff, and their families are safe and accounted for.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all of Kansas City,” the Chiefs statement said. “We thank the local law enforcement officers and first responders who were on-scene to assist.”
