ONE person is dead and up to 15 are injured after a shooting near the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade.
Screams rang out and panicked crowds began to flee after shots were fired while fans tried to leave the event through Union Station moments after the team left the parade.
Two people have since been taken into custody after cops rushed to secure the scene with the help of the FBI.
Police have confirmed that one person has died and at least 10-15 others were injured after chaos erupted at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade.
Initial reports suggested several children had been among the wounded, but police later confirmed that all the victims were adults
“At the conclusion of the rally there were shots fired west of Union Station near the garage and several people were struck,” Capt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department told the Kansas City Star.
“We need people to exit the area as quickly and safely as possible and avoid the parking garage in order to facilitate treatment of shooting victims,” Becchina said.
Three victims are said to be in critical condition, five are in serious condition and one has non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials.
Police have confirmed that they had given life-sustaining aid to victims when they arrived on the scene.
At the time of the shooting, they believe 10-15 shots had been fired before the suspects were apprehended.
However, the fire department is still trying to gather how many people were possibly hurt.
“We’re still trying to confirm all the injury statuses,” Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins told The Daily Beast.
“Shortly after the rally ended, there was an active shooter situation to the west of Union Station. At this time, we have a total of possibly 12 injured, we’re starting to get some walk-ins from the area. Initially, we had 10 injured with 3 critical. That’s kind of where we’re at now.”
“So, I know we have a minimum of 10 potential victims, but we’re slowly getting additional walk-ins to the hospital,” he added.
Officers have detained two armed people for more investigation, according to Becchina.
One suspect was recorded sitting on the ground surrounded by cops.
Over a million people were said to have attended the parade this year.
Shocking video showed police rushing in as sports fans scrambled for their safety.
Terrified paradegoers jumped over barricades and had to run across open roads to flee the scene
“Officers are working to clear Union Station itself. We will release everyone inside the building once that is complete. We are still trying to determine the number of shooting victims,” the police revealed on X formerly known as Twitter.
One woman recounted the horrifying moment she realized there was a shooting at the parade.
“We went where an elevator was, we shut the doors and sat back against the doors and we prayed,” one woman told Kansas City ABC affiliate KMBC.
“There was yelling and we didn’t know if it was safe to leave, so we tried to block the doors. We heard the elevator start to move so we opened the doors and ran out — there were officers there,” she said. “I’ve never been so glad to see an officer in my life.”
A parade attendee claimed to have heard a shot near a security post by the east stage.
“It was someone within feet of me,” Shawn Grew told the Kansas City Star.
Sam Castro, 18, revealed that he saw people running out of Union Station, a little before 2 pm.
“We just got here, so it’s kind of crazy,” he told the publication.
A scared high schooler also revealed that he “had no idea if my friends were OK.”
He added, “It’s terrible.”
The teen said he was told by a security guard to “get over the damn fence'” to safety, which caused him to hit his face in the process.
Police released a message on social media after the shooting trying to help parents find their potentially lost children.
“Remember the child reunification stations in the area are at 2301 Main and inside the main entrance of Union Station. We still have several needing reunification. Contact the officer nearest you for reunification information.”
Governor Laura Kelly took to X to reveal she was safe after the tragedy.
“At the end of the Chiefs rally, shots were fired near Union Station. I have been evacuated and am out of harm’s way. I encourage everyone to follow instructions and updates from @kcpolice. Please stay safe.”
The star quarterback for the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, tweeted about the incident.
“Praying for Kansas City…” he wrote.
Each year, the Super Bowl winner receives a parade. This was the third time in the last five years that it was hosted in Kansas City.
On Wednesday the Chiefs players arrived on double-decker buses, waving to fans as they drove threw the city.
Players would eventually leave their rides, so they could greet their cheering fans and even hand out drinks to those who have been waiting all morning for the winners to arrive.
Children had received the day off from school, to be able to attend what should have been a happy occasion for the city.
The city celebrated with a massive pep rally after the parade, congratulating the team for its latest victory.
“Everything we did this year was because of you guys,” said Chris Jones, the team’s standout defensive lineman.
“Chiefs Kingdom, y’all are the reason we do what we do,” Mahomes said.
The team’s quarterback was seen running along the parade route with his arms outstretched, similar to the pose he made during the Super Bowl.
Championship parades have been used to give players a much-needed celebration, after the hard work they put in during football season.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed that he told the players not to go overboard during the festivities.
“It’s great to have fun but be smart,” he added.
