At least one person killed and dozens injured in shooting at Kansas City Chiefs parade

(CNN) — At least one person was killed and dozens were injured in a shooting in Kansas City at the end of the Chiefs’ celebratory parade for their Super Bowl victory, city police said.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at least 22 people were injured in the shooting. However, he clarified that authorities are still working to determine the “total number of victims” and stressed that this is an active investigation.

Hours earlier, Michael Hopkins, a city fire department spokesman, had detailed that three patients were in critical condition, five were in critical condition and one had non-life-threatening injuries. He also noted that five additional injured people sought medical attention for injuries from the incident, but it was not certain whether they were victims of gunshot.

For his part, he confirmed in a press conference that at least one person died. The shooting occurred on the west side of Union Station, officials said. When officers arrived there, they detained two people and immediately started helping the injured.

Graves said he did not know exactly how many people were injured, but “it could be between 10 and 15.” He also said that he did not yet know much about the condition of the victims. He said he did not believe any of the victims were children.

Earlier, police had asked the public to leave the area. “Anyone nearby should leave the area as quickly and safely as possible to facilitate the treatment of shooting victims. “Avoid the Union Station parking area to allow first responders to pass through,” he warned.

Most of the injured were taken to University Health Truman Medical Center, according to hospital spokesman Keith King. The official told CNN they were treating 12 people: “4 people with gunshot wounds and another 8 people with non-bullet injuries in the incident.”

Mayor Quinton Lucas said at a news conference that all Chiefs players, coaches and staff present are safe.

An estimated one million people were in downtown Kansas City on Wednesday to celebrate their team’s second consecutive championship. The area where the shooting occurred was just steps away from where the Chiefs held a victory rally for thousands of fans after the parade.

It’s a heartbreaking end to a wild day of celebration for Chiefs fans, including many children, as school districts in the Kansas City metropolitan area canceled classes to allow students to attend.

The shooting is the latest example of gun violence blighting American lives in places that were once considered safe. It was at a sports festival with a large crowd. Others have gone to churches, schools, grocery stores, shopping malls, hospitals, college campuses and house parties. In June 2023, two people were shot as fans were leaving the Denver Nuggets’ NBA title celebration.

When the firing took place in the Vijay Rally, the players were still on the stage and were meeting each other after the rally was over. Although some people had begun to leave the area, it was still filled with followers, who began running away in fear after the sound of gunfire.

Police say two armed men were taken into custody after the shooting. No additional details were immediately released Wednesday afternoon.

Parade attendee: “I felt like I was going to die”

Madison Anderes, 24, who was attending a Super Bowl rally in Kansas City with her brother and mother, had to run for her life after shots were fired.

“At first we thought it was a series of fireworks,” Anderes told CNN by phone. Moments later, a man standing in front of them turned back and yelled, “He’s got a gun! He’s got a gun!” Andres said. Then another round of pop was heard, much louder this time.

“That’s when everything went haywire,” added the woman, who fell to the ground and everyone started running away. “I felt like I was going to die, I felt like I was an easy target and they were going to shoot me.”

After Andres got up, he ran with his brother and mother and took shelter with 10 other people in front of a store, he said. He said that at that very moment he saw police entering the scene.

A celebration that went in vain

The day began with joy as approximately one million people traveled to Kansas City to attend the ceremony.

It started with Chiefs players crammed into double-decker buses and waving to fans as they toured the city. Star Travis Kelce was spotted on the same bus as Mahomes, but it did not appear that his girlfriend, popular singer Taylor Swift, was on the trip. Swift has tour dates in Australia this weekend.

It wasn’t long before some of the players got out of their vehicles to walk the parade route and high-five fans who had been waiting all morning to cheer on the Chiefs.

At a pep rally after the parade, many players praised the team’s connection to the city. These statements were even more poignant later, when people fled in fear.

Chris Jones, a standout on the team, said, “Everything we did this year was because of you.”

“Chiefs Kingdom, you are the reason we do what we do,” Mahomes said. players after the shootout Published in X: “Prayer for Kansas City.”

The Chiefs have established themselves as the NFL’s newest dynasty with this recent Super Bowl win. Mahomes, who at age 28 is already the greatest quarterback of all-time, ran down the parade route with his arms outstretched, a posture similar to the one he takes after throwing. Touchdown Winner in overtime on Sunday.

CNN’s Sarah Dewberry and David Close contributed to this report.