KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday slammed three senators who falsely identified Olathe man Denton Loudermill as the Chiefs rally shooter.
The shooting left beloved Kansas City mother and DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan dead and injured over 20 others.
Three men have been charged in connection to Lopez-Galvan's death.
Sens. Rick Brattin, Denny Hoskins and Nick Schroer, all Republicans, are being sued by Loudermill.
Man wrongfully accused
On the day of the chaotic shooting, Loudermill was photographed handcuffed and sitting next to Kansas City, Missouri, police officers.
The photo was posted on social media, accusing him of being an illegal immigrant on top of the shooter.
The photo was widely circulated, reposted and viewed by thousands of people.
Brattin was among those who reposted the false statements made about Loudermill.
Loudermill was not detained or cited, and instead had only been placed in handcuffs because he wasn't moving fast enough during the chaos.
Missouri governor addresses actions of senators
Like thousands of others, Loudermill said he attended the celebration to have a good time, something Parson pointed to.
"I'm going to tell you this: we are not going to target innocent people in this state," Parson said at a bill signing Thursday. "This gentleman did nothing wrong whatsoever, other than he went to a parade, he drank beer, and he was Hispanic."
Parson continued commenting on the actions of the senators, calling them "problematic."
"We're just not gonna attack citizens in Missouri or anywhere else just because we think we have the power to do so," the governor said. "There will be more to be said on that in the near future, but I'm telling you it's problematic."
Parson addresses Missouri Attorney General Attorney's intent to defend senators
Last week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey confirmed his office would be representing the three senators against Loudermill's lawsuit.
Bailey's office will defend them under a legal expense fund created through a Missouri state statute, which he argues the senators qualify for because they're elected officials.
Asked about Bailey's decision to defend the senators, Parson said he wasn't sure what the attorney general planned to do but said "I don't agree."
Parson said that as elected officials, the senators should be held to a higher standard when "attacking citizens."
"You don't get a free pass just cause you're a politician," Parson said. "If you cross the line, then you're held liable for those issues. Look, this guy did not deserve the attacks he had. I wanna be clear on that. He did not deserve what happened to him."
Parson said he plans to further address the issue in the near future.
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