Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes offered his prayers following a shooting at the Super Bowl champions’ victory parade.
The Chiefs’ celebrations outside Union Station in Kansas City descended into chaos Wednesday when shots rang out after stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce had just left the stage.
At least 22 people have been injured, with multiple children reportedly rushed to nearby Children’s Mercy Hospital, and one is dead.
Super Bowl MVP Mahomes shared a message to social media around an hour after the shooting with the Chiefs escorted back to Arrowhead Stadium.
‘Praying for Kansas City…,’ the quarterback posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Patrick Mahomes offered his prayers following a shooting at the Chiefs’ victory parade
The Super Bowl MVP shared a message to social media around an hour after the shooting
People flee after shots were fired near the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory parade
Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill, 28, also urged fans to join him in prayer in a message shared to social media.
‘Please join me in prayer for all the victims in this heinous act,’ the Chiefs player posted.
‘Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing.’
More prayers began to filter in from the Chiefs players as safety Justin Reid also posted: ‘Praying for everyone in Kansas City at the parade.’
‘Praying for everyone today in Kansas City,’ Donovan Smith shared, while guard Trey Smith added, ‘My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by today’s incidents—a huge thank you to the first responders who ran towards the sound of danger. You’re the ones who should be celebrated today.’
‘Get the hate out y’all hearts!! Praying for the Kingdom,’ Trent McDuffie later posted.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the Chiefs organization confirmed that all players and members of staff were safe and accounted for.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill, 28, also urged fans to join him in prayer
More prayers began to filter in from the Chiefs players and members of the organization
Team buses left the scene around half an hour after the incident to return to Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs’ Vice President of Content and Production Robert G. Alberino Jr also confirmed that the organization’s production crew, game day crew cheer team, flag team and mascots were all accounted for.
A man in a red hoodie was pictured being arrested, although it is unclear if he was one of those involved in the shooting.
Officers are now evacuating the streets surrounding the train station where up to one million people had gathered to celebrate the win.
Fans were seen scrambling from the scene, with several people wheeled away in stretchers.
A man in a red hoodie was pictured being arrested, although it is unclear if he was one of those involved in the shooting
Police said they were releasing all of those inside Union Square around 15 minutes after the shooting unfolded.
The live broadcast on KSHB 41 showed crowds outside Union Station, where the parade finished, rapidly dispersing with some jumping barriers to make a hasty getaway.
Presenters said that members of the crowd were telling them to get down and people were rushing indoors.
They added that crew members had said they heard a number of loud noises before the fans began fleeing the scene near the World War One museum and memorial.
Just moments before stars Mahomes and Kelce had been reveling their back-to-back Super Bowl triumph, hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in front of their adoring fans for a third time in five years.
But the scenes of celebrations rapidly descended into ones of chaos and heartbreak.