US: 2 men charged over Kansas City Superbowl shooting
February 20, 2024
Two men in the US have been charged with murder in connection with a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade last week, officials said on Tuesday.
One person was killed and 22 others — aged 8 to 47 — were wounded in the shooting.
The two men each face one count of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. They are both being held on a $1 million (€930,000) bond.
What we know about the shooting
The two suspects have been hospitalized since the shooting, Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said, but did not specify whether this was due to gunshot wounds.
They did not know each other before the incident, according to prosecutors.
Police say a dispute among several people led to the shooting. The two men and others were arguing when one of them "pulled his handgun first almost immediately" and several others also did so, Peters Baker said.
"I do want you to understand — we seek to hold every shooter accountable for their actions on that day. Every single one," Peters Baker said. "So while we're not there yet on every single individual, we're going to get there."
Two others, said by police to be minors, were also detained last week over gun possession and resisting arrest, with authorities saying further charges could still be brought against them.
Some 800 police officers were present at the Superbowl celebration
Kansas City grapples with gun violence
In 2020, Kansas City was one of nine cities chosen by the US Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime.
In 2023, the city registered 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.
On Monday, Missouri's Republican-led House passed a ban on celebratory gunfire. Republican Governor Mike Parson vetoed similar legislation last year, citing provisions in the bill unrelated to celebratory gunfire.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said that it may be time to rethink championship celebrations following the deadly shooting, but he added that next month's Saint Patrick's Day parade will go ahead as planned.
sdi/ab (AFP, Reuters, AP)