Shooting at Chiefs' parade mars Super Bowl celebration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Hundreds of thousands of Chiefs fans flooded downtown Kansas City on Wednesday to celebrate the football team’s third Super Bowl title in five seasons with a parade.

The Chiefs on Sunday scored their 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.

But, at the conclusion of the rally, there were shots fired west of Union Station near the garage and several people were struck, a KCPD spokesperson told WDAF-TV in Kansas City. 

Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City officials confirmed that the shooting left one person dead and 21 people injured. Among the victims were at least eight children, officials said during a news conference.

"I’m angry at what happened today," Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said. 

Graves said three people had been taken into custody and has heard that fans may have been involved in apprehending a suspect but couldn’t confirm that.

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"This is absolutely a tragedy, the likes of which we never would have expected in Kansas City, the likes of which we’ll remember for some time," Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
The Chiefs released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, which confirmed all of their players, coaches and staff and their families were "safe and accounted for." 

"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. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all of Kansas City. We are in close communication with the Mayor's office as well as the Kansas City Police Department. At this time, we have confirmed that all of our players, coaches, staff and their families are safe and accounted for. We thank the local law enforcement officers and first responders who were on-scene to assist," the statement read. 

Earlier: Kansas City Chiefs parade

Confetti cannons exploded from double-decker buses as players rolled through the crowd, DJs and drummers heralding their arrival. Throngs lined the route, with fans climbing trees and street poles, or standing on rooftops for a better view. Owner Clark Hunt was on one of those buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy. Former "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet was part of the mob.

"Best fans in the world," exclaimed wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who caught the winning touchdown pass, as he walked along the route, with the players signing jerseys and at least one person’s head.

"Never stop," running back Isiah Pacheco added from the route.

The Missouri city and the NFL team each chipped in around $1 million each for the event commemorating the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots two decades ago to defend their title.

Many of the largest school districts in the area canceled classes, and businesses along the parade route are turning the day into a viewing party for their workers. 

At least 600 Kansas City police officers were stationed along the 2-mile route, said police Chief Stacey Graves.

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After decades without a championship, the city is gaining experience with victory parades. Five seasons ago, the Chiefs defeated the 49ers for the team’s first Super Bowl championship in 50 years. That followed the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series in 2015, the city’s first baseball championship in 30 years. That year, fans abandoned their cars on the side of the highway so they could walk to the celebration.

Then, last year, the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 and prophetically vowed they would be back for more.

One big change this year is that the parade was getting started one hour earlier, at 11 a.m. local time, so the crowd would dissipate before the Valentine’s Day dinner crowd showed up .

"Looking forward to seeing Kansas City, the surrounds, the Kingdom, and all of our world champion @Chiefs tomorrow morning," Lucas posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Why Taylor Swift was not at Chiefs parade with Travis Kelce

Taylor Swift was not among those celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs.

The pop star is currently in Melbourne, Australia to kick off the Australian leg of her popular Eras Tour. 

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Swift made the trip on her private jet before her concert, scheduled for Friday night.

After her dates in Melbourne, Swift will then head to Sydney, Singapore, and beyond for the next leg of her massive worldwide tour. 

The Kansas City mayor on X responded to a report that Kansas City officials "might have" asked Swift to skip the parade.

"Not true at all," Lucas wrote late Wednesday. "Just had a great chat with @kcpolice Chief Graves.  We’re enchanted to welcome everyone to tomorrow’s parade and the women and men of our police department are prepared to keep all safe."

Instead, Travis Kelce was joined by his mom, Donna Kelce, the superstar of NFL moms (her oldest son, Jason Kelce, is a center for the Philadelphia Eagles).

Unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit had players stripping off shirts. The weather also helped generate a crowd that city officials estimate could top 1 million.

"I missed last year. I said, ‘I’m not missing this year,’" said longtime fan Charles Smith Sr., who flew from his home in Sicklerville, New Jersey, for the parade.

This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.

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