Kansas City Shooting After Chiefs’ Super Bowl Victory Parade Leaves One Dead, 15 Injured as Cable News Prioritizes Coverage
The Kansas City Police Department reported that shots were fired by Union Station Wednesday afternoon after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade, which had culminated in a highly-attended rally held directly across the street in the downtown area. The shooting sent CNN, MSNBC and other news networks into marathon coverage as a day that should have been a celebration for the city turned into tragedy.
In a remarkable and horrifying coincidence, two parents of Joaquin Oliver, one of 17 victims in the 2018 Parkland high school shooting, were planning to join CNN to discuss their gun reform activism. Wednesday marked the sixth anniversary of the tragedy. Manuel and Patricia Oliver’s conversation pivoted to coverage of Kansas City, with Manuel stating that he was “not surprised at all” by the incident.
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“We interrupt this interview because we have another mass shooting going on. Then you might be interrupting that one because it never stops,” Oliver said. “So far, without any investigation, I can tell that the common elements are a gun and someone shooting innocent people. That should be enough for us to be offended and to start working on a solution.”
KCPD states that two armed individuals have been detained and are being held in custody. According to Michael Hopkins of the Kansas City Fire Department, at least one person was killed and 15 people were injured in the shooting, per the Associated Press.
The Super Bowl victory parade had kicked off at 11:00 a.m. about two miles north of Union Station, with Chiefs players and fans making their way down the road for a rally that began at approximately 12:45 p.m.
Roughly one million fans and 600 law enforcement officers were expected to attend the Super Bowl victory celebration, per ABC News.
KCPD first reported the shooting on social media at around 2 p.m. local time, informing civilians to vacate the area. Reports indicate that the event had wrapped before the shooting occurred, though many fans were still in the area.
Authorities also shared that they had worked to clear Union Station before releasing individuals still inside the building. Along with several other downtown businesses and streets, Union Station had shuttered operations on Tuesday evening in preparation for the parade, with plans to reopen to the public at 4:00 p.m.
Witnesses to the shooting were asked to convene at the southwest corner of Pershing and Main, which had served as a border to the area designated for the Chiefs event just hours earlier.
“At the end of the Chiefs rally, shots were fired near Union Station,” Kansas Governor Laura Kelly posted on social media at 2:27 p.m. local time. “I have been evacuated and am out of harm’s way. I encourage everyone to follow instructions and updates from @kcpolice. Please stay safe.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes posted a statement on the shooting about an hour after it occurred, sending prayers to the town.
Praying for Kansas City… 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 14, 2024
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