Two juveniles charged following Kansas City Super Bowl parade shooting

Photo: Charlie Riedel Associated Press In Kansas City, emotional recovery is just beginning in a community horrified that two minors could cause such trauma. We see here a vigil in honor of the victims of the shooting on Thursday.

Nick Ingram – Associated Press, Scott McFetridge – Associated Press, Jim Salter – Associated Press in Kansas City

February 16, 2024

• United States

Two juveniles were charged with crimes following the shooting at the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City, authorities said, as the city tried to recover from the shock.

The youths were charged Thursday and are being held at the Jackson County Juvenile Center “on gun-related charges and resisting arrest,” the county Family Court said in a statement. “Additional charges may be laid as the investigation progresses,” it also says.

No further information was released Friday. Court cases involving juveniles remain largely confidential under Missouri law, and hearings are not open to the public.

Trauma

The police initially arrested three minors, but later released one. She is looking for others who may have been involved and is calling on witnesses, victims and people with video on their phones to come forward.

Meanwhile, Kansas City residents turned to church services, vigils, and psychological support to try to cope with the horror of that day.

A woman, mother and popular DJ died in the shooting Wednesday as the parade and rally ended. 22 other people were injured, more than half of whom were children.

As of Friday, two victims were still in critical condition and another was in serious condition. Most of the injured children have been released from hospital and are expected to recover.

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But the emotional recovery is only just beginning in a community horrified that two minors could cause such trauma.

Police believe an argument between several people led to the shooting.

A city grappling with gun violence

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, in 2020 and 2023, took place without problems.

Chiefs players paraded in red double-decker buses through Missouri's largest city on Wednesday. The parade ended with a rally in front of the immense Union Station. That's when the shots rang out.

Many people thought they heard fireworks. Eventually, some hid for shelter. Others jumped over barriers and ran, many with children.

Moreover, beyond the gunshot wounds, several people were treated in hospitals for injuries sustained in the crush. So many personal belongings were left at the scene that the police opened a site for people to try to find what they had left behind.

The shooting occurred despite the presence of more than 800 police officers in the area, including on top of surrounding buildings, said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who was present, along with his wife and mother, and ran to safety when the shots rang out. But the mayor did not plan to cancel the next St. Patrick's Day parade, in a month.

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