One Killed, 21 Injured During US Super Bowl Parade in Missouri

One person has died and 21 people were wounded in a shooting in Missouri at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade.

Officials said they treated eight victims who were in immediate life-threatening condition and seven others who had suffered injuries that could prove life-threatening.

Nine children were among the wounded; all are expected to recover. Police said they have arrested three suspects in connection with the shooting.

The shots were fired west of Union Station, the train station in downtown Kansas City, which was where the parade ended at around 14:00 local time (20:00 GMT), and thousands of fans had gathered to watch the festivities.

Local reports said the Kansas City Chiefs’s players were still on a stage there when the first shots rang out. The gunfire caused the watching crowd, including the city’s mayor and his family members, to run for cover.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Chief Graves said a total of 22 people were struck by gunfire, one of whom is dead, and three individuals were arrested.

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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he and First Lady Teresa Parson were present at the celebration 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,” he said in a statement.

“We commend local first responders and our state Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team for their quick actions to stop the threat and treat those in need,” his statement continued. “State and local law enforcement were prepared, they had a plan, and they ran towards danger when presented, undoubtedly saving lives. … As we wait to learn more, our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of this senseless violence.”

President Joe Biden said in a statement Wednesday night that the Kansas City shooting “cuts deep in the American soul,” and should “shame us into acting.”

“We have to decide who we are as a country,” Biden wrote. “For me, we’re a country where people should have the right to go to school, to go to church, to walk the street — and to attend a Super Bowl celebration — without fear of losing your life to gun violence.”

The president said he and the first lady are praying for the victims and the country.