Two of the three suspects currently detained by Kansas City police for the mass shooting at the Super Bowl parade are minors, authorities revealed Thursday.
At a news conference outside city police headquarters, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said investigators believe the shooting was sparked by a personal dispute between a small group and that the parade was not was the goal.
In Wednesday’s mass shooting, at least 21 people were shot and one killed, and the news conference confirmed the death of a beloved Kansas City radio DJ.
“This was a dispute that ended in shooting,” said the chief, who said a total of 10 people were questioned afterward and that more arrests may be made.
Authorities said the more than two dozen victims ranged in age from eight to 47, and at least half of them were under 16.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves (pictured) said at a news conference Thursday morning that the shooting is believed to have been sparked by a personal dispute between a small group, including youths.
Images circulating on social media show a group of people detained after the shooting, some of whom appear to be minors. It is unclear if those in the photo are suspects.
A man dressed in a red tracksuit was quickly detained after the shooting, although it is unclear if he was involved in the tragedy.
Terrified parade-goers fled for their lives after gunmen opened fire shortly after the Superbowl winners walked off the stage.
Graves said the incident appears to have been fueled by rampant gun violence problems in Kansas City, and has “no nexus (connection) to terrorism” at this time.
The city’s fire chief spoke briefly at the news conference and said at least eight victims remain in critical condition.
Images circulating on social media show at least five people detained after the shooting.
Several of them appear to be minors and were photographed being handcuffed and dragged away by police. It is unclear which, if any, of those photographed are among the three suspects. One of the suspects was wearing a yellow Patrick Mahomes when police handcuffed him.
The Kansas City Police Department told DailyMail.com it would not release the names of the people in the images since they have not been charged.
Police have 24 hours to file charges against those arrested, and the suspects appear to be quickly detained after the shooting began around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas did not offer a statement, but said during reporters’ questions that he would consider blocking a future parade next year.
In a separate press interview at 6 a.m. Thursday, Lucas explained that he might call off the parade if the Chiefs won again out of an abundance of caution.
Lucas offered few new details about the tragedy early Thursday morning and apologized for “not being able to keep everyone safe” at the family event.
“I’m sorry this happened yesterday,” he said.
“We worked hard to put on an exceptional parade, we spent millions on it, but we couldn’t keep everyone safe and that’s something I feel very guilty about.”
A witness to the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade described a chilling scene of victims thrown to the ground and people trampled in the chaos.
As investigators continue to work the case, bullets and shell casings left at the scene have become key pieces of evidence.
ATF specialists are working to connect the suspects’ firearms to remains left at the scene, a law enforcement source said. cnn.
Amid claims that one of the gunmen moved in a circle to gun down as many people as possible, bullets lodged in the surrounding area have also been taken for analysis.
Ideally, bullets left in the more than two dozen victims would be compared to specific firearms taken from the suspects to determine which weapon was responsible for each victim.
Because firearms leave casings with a unique mark, similar to fingerprints, the analysis can also determine if the weapons were used in other crimes in the Kansas City area.
It comes after several witnesses have given harrowing accounts of the moment the family event descended into chaos.
Witnesses described a chilling scene in which victims were shot to the ground and people were trampled in the chaos.
More than a million people were expected to gather in Kansas City for the celebration, exacerbating frantic scenes as large crowds formed a stampede to run for safety.
Rick Reichmeier told KCTV he was separated from his family when the shooting began, before witnessing the gruesome moment after a woman was shot.
Witness Rick Reichmeier said he was separated from his family when the shooting began, before seeing a woman with “blood coming out of her mouth while her chest was being pumped.”
Shooting victim Jacob Gooch Jr (pictured) said his wife and daughter, who were also shot, heard a woman pleading with a gunman not to start shooting, seconds before the shooter circled for hit as many people as possible.
“When I got up, there was a lady probably about 25 feet away from me and she had blood coming out of her mouth while they were pumping her chest,” he said.
‘I was walking away and I heard some gunshots, some pop pop pop pop, people started running and I ran. Then all of a sudden people start hitting the ground, I hit the ground and people fall on top of me.’
Another witness who suffered a gunshot wound to the ankle, Jacob Gooch Jr, claimed a woman pleaded with a gunman “don’t do it” seconds before he spun in circles to gun down as many people as possible.
Gooch Jr, who was shot in the chaos along with his wife and son, told CBS Mornings that he heard a young woman tell the shooter: “Not here, this is stupid.”
“My wife and daughter saw the gun come out and started shooting,” he said. “My daughter said a lady was holding him down…she then pulled out (the gun) and started shooting and spinning in circles.”
Gooch said he did not personally see the gunman, but he was a short distance away, as he recalled initially thinking the gunshots were fireworks.
He said he was shot in the ankle, his wife was shot in the calf muscle and his son suffered a gunshot wound to the foot, but fortunately his family was okay other than the injuries and had returned home from the hospital.
Beloved Kansas City radio DJ Lisa López-Galván, pictured here with her husband, was the only person to die the day of the shooting, passing away during surgery at a hospital from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
While at least eight victims remain in critical condition as of Thursday afternoon, only one attendee has lost their life: beloved local radio DJ Lisa López-Galván.
Tributes have poured in for the mother-of-two, who died during emergency surgery in hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Her devastated family said Friday: “We are heartbroken by the loss of our loved one… We ask that you keep our family in your prayers as we grieve the loss of Lisa while also supporting our other loved ones who were affected. in this senseless act.”
Local Democrat Manny Abarca, who was friends with López-Galván, spoke about his impact in an interview with TalkTV’s Jeremy Kyle and Rosie Wright on Talk Today.
‘It is a tragic situation. I was there with my six-year-old daughter, Camilla, and we went from catching confetti to hiding in a bathroom, not knowing what our fate might be. Unfortunately, this is the state of big events like this in the United States.
“We have to be vigilant about those who have guns that are easily accessible, and especially in states like Missouri.”