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“She was the most wonderful, beautiful person,” a for decades-long friend told the Star. “She was a local DJ. She did everybody’s weddings. We all know her. She was so full of life.”
Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But he said 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up.
“It sucks that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Sanders said.
Lisa Money was trying to gather some confetti near the end of the parade when she heard somebody yell, “Down, down, everybody down!” At first Money thought somebody might be joking until she saw the SWAT team jumping over the fence.
“I can’t believe it really happened. Who in their right mind would do something like this?” she said.
“This is supposed to be a day of celebration for everybody in the city and the surrounding area, and then you’ve got some idiot that wants to come along and do something like this.”
Lisa Augustine, spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital was “receiving patients from the rally”. She didn’t know how many or immediately offer any details about their injuries.
St Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City received one gunshot patient in critical condition and one walk-in patient with injuries that were not life-threatening, spokesperson Laurel Gifford said.
The University of Kansas Health System was treating one person wounded in the shooting, said Jill Jensen Chadwick, news director for the health system. She didn’t know the person’s condition.
“When you have this many casualties, it’s going to get spread out among a lot of hospitals so that you don’t overwhelm any single ER,” she said.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson and his wife were at the parade when shots were fired but were safe, Parson posted on X. “State law enforcement personnel are assisting local authorities in response efforts. As we wait to learn more, our hearts go out to the victims,” his account posted.
Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members, and the team was on buses and returning to Arrowhead Stadium.
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After the Denver Nuggets’ NBA championship parade last year, a shooting took place in downtown Denver that injured two people, though police said they didn’t believe the incident was associated with the actual celebration.
Also last year, an argument resulted in shots being fired at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade. Nobody was injured.
Areas that had been filled with crowds were empty after the shooting, with police and firefighters standing and talking behind an area restricted by yellow tape.
Throngs had lined the route, with fans climbing trees and street poles, or standing on rooftops for a better view. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, DJs and drummers heralding their arrival. Owner Clark Hunt was on one of those buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy.
The city and the team each chipped in about $US1 million ($1.5 million) for the event commemorating Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots two decades ago to defend their title.
After decades without a championship, the city is getting used to victory parades. Five seasons ago, the Chiefs defeated the 49ers for the team’s first Super Bowl championship in 50 years.
That followed the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series in 2015, the city’s first baseball championship in 30 years.
That year, fans abandoned their cars on the side of the highway so they could walk to the celebration.
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