KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory rally was wrapping up Wednesday afternoon at Union Station, Chiefs fan John O’Connor was standing stage left when chaos erupted.
O’Connor, of Kansas City, was turning to leave when he heard the gunfire. People began running away to get to safety.
“It sounded like fireworks. It sounded like a ton of very rapid succession, very quick shots. So, I’d say 15 to 20 in a very short amount of time,” O’Connor said.
“I didn’t really take off to start. A lot of people did. And then it kinda just seemed like someone was hurt and people were running more and more.”
A massive police presence descended on Union Station. Kansas City police had yet to disclose a full account of those injured but said several people were struck by gunfire and two people were arrested.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference that one person was killed and 10 to 15 others were injured
O’Connor hunkered down with others in a nearby garage. It sounded to him as if there may have been some return fire at one point coming from Union Station.
“I don’t even know at that point because there was a lot of confusion,” O’Connor said.
LeAndre Allen and Spencer Johnson were walking around outside University Health Hospital, praying for those inside.
“We’re just going to pray around the grounds,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing else to do.” Both were at Union Station when the shooting occurred.
“The shooter was behind me,” Allen said. “… That guy took off right into the crowd in front of us and everyone being able, you know, started panicking and stuff like that.”
Johnson said a girl she knows broke her leg at the scene. She said parents were quickly gathering their children.
“It was so many children just having to be picked up,” she said. “It was just alarming….
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