KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas instinctively started running.
In the moments after the Chiefs Champions Victory Parade rally Wednesday afternoon, Lucas was inside Union Station when shots rang out just west of the stage where Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the team had finished celebrating their Super Bowl LVIII victory minutes earlier.
The shooting took place close enough to Union Station that Lucas and Chiefs players felt the need to take cover.
“I was inside of Union Station, we heard something, some of us started running, and I saw a stream of officers running the other direction with guns drawn and ready to address danger,” Lucas said.”
Lucas was attending the parade with his wife and mother. He considered bring his toddler to the event as well.
“We never would have thought that we — along with Chiefs players, along with fans, hundreds of thousands of people — would be forced to run for our safety today,” Lucas said.
Lucas praised the quick actions of law enforcement, who secured the building and arrested at least two suspects shortly after the shooting, which injured 22 and left Lisa Lopez-Galvan dead, according to the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.
“I wish we lived in a world where they wouldn’t have to do that. I wish we lived in a world where we wouldn’t have to see incidents like that,” Lucas said. “But I’m as heartbroken as anybody. We will do a full and thorough investigation. I hope that we bring whoever did this to justice.”
KCPD Chief of Police Graves said the circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation, but confirmed that two suspects were taken into custody.
“It is an ongoing investigation,” she said. “It’s going to take us a little bit to determine exactly what led up to the shooting.”
There were 600 Kansas City, Missouri, police officers and roughly 250 more law-enforcement officers from surrounding agencies on duty along the parade route, according to Graves and Lucas.
When asked if any officers were injured, Graves said, “Nothing of note.”
The White House also called to offer federal assistance and some federal law-enforcement officials were at the scene, including FBI deputies and ATF agents.
“I’m angry at what happened today,”Graves said. “The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment.”
Lucas echoed that sentiment and lamented that the outburst of violence spoiled an otherwise spectacular party.
“The initial response absolutely is anger,” he said. “We have done a lot of these now, and this is a day that a lot of people look forward to, something they remember for a lifetime. What they shouldn't have to remember is the threat of gun violence marring a day like this, injuring them and their families. ... This is absolutely a tragedy, the likes of which we would have never expected in Kansas City and the likes of which we will remember for some time.”
Lucas thanked “the women and men of law enforcement” and the “women and men who work with the Kansas City Fire Department and our other agencies” for their efforts to apprehend the shooters and help those who were injured.
“When you have people who decide to bring guns to events, when you have people who decide to mar events — celebratory ones like this one — all of us become members of this club that none of want to be a part, which is those who’ve experienced mass shootings,” Lucas said.
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