A shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade on Wednesday left one person dead and at least 21 injured after gunfire erupted following the parade that not far from downtown.
Law enforcement officials have taken three suspects into custody.
The shooting happened near Union Station not longer after the team had finished speaking and exited the parade. Fans were starting to leave the celebration where as many as 1 million people had been in attendance.
“I am angry,” Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said. “The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment.”
Some witnesses described fans rushing away from the area after hearing gunshots. Chiefs players, coaches and staff were unharmed.
“We see people running, and we hear gunshots, and we take off running. And we look over and there’s a guy next to us on the ground,” witness Jennifer Wilbers told KMBC.
Several players expressed sadness over the shooting on social media.
Spectators sheltered in place during the incident, with some taking cover in elevators. Hundreds of police officers were present at the parade and rally.
“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,” one parade attendee said. “I’ve never been so glad to see an officer in my life.”
The police chief called it a “tragedy” and said people should have expected a safe environment at the celebration. The governor of Missouri was also in attendance and said security officers responded professionally to the situation.
“This was a tragic conclusion to a celebration we had all looked forward to — none more than Teresa and me,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement. “The First Lady and I were present when shots broke out. Thanks to the professionalism of our security officers and first responders, Teresa and I and our staff are safe and secure.”