2 juveniles charged in mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. â€”  Two juveniles have been charged with crimes connected to the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally, authorities said Friday.

A news release fromthe Jackson County Family Court said the juveniles were charged Thursday and are being detained in the county’s Juvenile Detention Center “on gun-related and resisting arrest charges.� The news release said that “additional charges are expected in the future as theinvestigation by the Kansas City Police Department continues.�

Juvenile court cases are largely kept private under Missouri law, and hearings are not open to the public.

Police initially detained three juveniles but released one who they believe wasn’t involved in the shooting. Police are seeking others who may have been involved, and ask that witnesses, victims and people with video of the violence call a hotline.

Meanwhile, Kansas Citians are turning to religious gatherings, vigils and counseling to try to cope with the horror of what happened.

A mother and popular disc jockey died in the burst of gunfire Wednesday as the parade and rally were concluding, and 22 others — more than half of them children — were injured. By Friday, two people remained in critical condition and one was in serious condition. Most of the injured children were out of the hospital and expected to recover.

But the emotional recovery is only just beginning ina community that is horrified at the idea that two juveniles could have caused such trauma. Police believe a dispute between several people led to the shooting.

The slain woman was identified by KKFI-FM radio as Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of “Taste of Tejano.� At a vigil honoring her Thursday, Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw said the city is working to offer support to those who are struggling.

“Remember that we are not defined by this tragedy,� Parks-Shaw said, according to the Kansas City Star. “We are defined by our courage, our strength and our unwavering spirits. Hold on to hope. Lean on one another. And know that a brighter tomorrow awaits.�

The Jackson County prosecuting attorney’s office set up in-person counseling to help those traumatized. Twelve people, two of them children, attended Thursday, spokesman Michael Mansur said Friday. The agency also established a hotline offering counseling, but Mansur didn’t immediately have information on how many had called it.

The Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in five years on Sunday, beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime. The two previous celebrations were held without any trouble.

On Wednesday, team members rode double-decker red buses through Missouri’s largest city. The parade ended with a rally at the sprawling Union Station. It was just breaking up when shots erupted.

Many people thought they were hearing fireworks. Eventually, some ducked for cover. Others leaped over barriers and sprinted, many while carrying children.

Beyond those who had gunshot wounds, several people were treated at hospitals for other injuries suffered amid the chaos. So many personal belongings were left behind that police set up a site for people to try to find what they lost.

Two men at the rally jumped on and detainedone person who reportedly had a gun, though police have not confirmed whether that person was among those charged.

Paul Contreras of Bellevue, Neb., said he heard a man yelling to stop someone and was able to tackle the person from behind. Contreras noticed that the person he tackled had a gun, he said, and he wasn’t sure whether he might have another under his heavy jacket.

Soon, Contreras was joined by another man.

“We’re like, we got to keep him down until law enforcement gets there. Because as much as we’re fighting to keep him down, he’s fighting to get up,� Contreras, whose daughter captured it all on video, told the Associated Press.

The man who helped Contreras was Trey Filter. He was with his family when he heard yells of “get him.�

“We was like, ‘We got him,’� Filter, 40, of the Wichita, Kan., area, told the Associated Press. “I’ll always remember that. And then they started screaming, ‘There’s a gun!’�

The gun fell near his wife, Casey Filter, who picked it up. By then, the person had been piled on by more people.

The shooting occurred while more than 800 police officers were in the area,including on top of structures, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who had attended with his wife and mother and had run for safety when the shots were fired.

But he doesn’t expect to cancel the upcoming St.Patrick’s Day parade.

“We have parades all the time. I don’t think they’ll end. Certainly we recognized the public safety challenges and issues that relate to them,� Lucas said.

Taylor Swift, who is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, has donated $100,000 to Lopez-Galvan’s family, in two $50,000 donations that were posted Friday under the singer’s name on a GoFundMe page. Swift’s representative confirmed the donations to Variety, the publication reported, and the AP independently verified the posts.

Kansas City has long struggled with gun violence. In 2020, it was among nine cities targeted by the Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023, the city matched a record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.

Lucas has joined mayors across the country in calling for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating background checks.

Salter reported from O’Fallon, Mo. McFetridge reported from Des Moines.