Members of the Kansas City Chiefs organization were “crying and screaming” during the Super Bowl parade shooting on Wednesday, February 14.
Manny Abarca, a legislator from Jackson County, Missouri, attended the event with his daughter, telling NBC News on Wednesday that the rally felt like a “social hour” before chaos ensued.
Abarca and his daughter were close to the stage where the Chiefs players were speaking during the celebration. Once the event concluded, he and the “rest of the team went inside” Union Station where they were set to board buses.
“And then we heard screaming,” Abarca recalled. “We saw a rush of people. It became very clear there was a threat.”
Abarca and his daughter ran with the team to a restaurant nearby to find safety. “I saw members of the Hunt family [who own the team], Coach [Andy] Reid and his family, players running toward the same direction,” he said. “We sat quietly as we hoped no one would come in.”
The Kansas City Police Department confirmed on Wednesday that gunshots were fired near the west end of Union Station. Multiple injuries have been reported, and a local radio station later announced that DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan died in the shooting.
The police department instructed everyone at the parade to “leave the area” in a statement shared via social media, adding, “Officers are working to clear Union Station itself. We will release everyone inside the building once that is complete.”
In the wake of the shooting, attendees have shared social media videos of their experience. One fan, Gabe Wallace, told the Kansas City Star that he was comforted by Chiefs Coach Reid during the shooting.
“He was kind of hugging me, just like, ‘Are you OK, man? Are you OK? Just please breathe,’” Wallace noted. “He was being real nice and everything.”
The NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs organization released statements on Wednesday reacting to the tragedy.
“We are deeply saddened by the senseless shooting that occurred today near the end of the rally in Kansas City for the Chiefs,” the NFL posted via X. “Our thoughts are with the victims and everyone affected. We are grateful for the quick and thorough response of law enforcement and emergency personnel.”
The Chiefs shared a similar sentiment. “We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside of Union Station at the conclusion of today’s parade and rally,” the team’s statement read. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and all of Kansas City.”
The team confirmed that they were “in close communication” with the mayor’s office and Kansas City Police Department, confirming that the “players, coaches, staff, and their families” were safe following the incident.
“We thank the local law enforcement officers and first responders who were on-scene to assist,” the Chiefs organization concluded.
