Following a mass shooting yesterday (Feb. 14) near the end of a Super Bowl parade and rally, Kansas City residents are reeling. About half of the 22 people who were shot and injured near Union Station downtown were children. One victim, a DJ and mother of two, died from her injuries.
The rally to celebrate the Chiefs’ Feb. 11 Super Bowl victory was wrapping up when shots rang out. An estimated 800,000 people gathered for the celebration, and local schools were closed Wednesday so children could attend.
Police have detained three suspects, including two juveniles, but no charges have been filed yet. According to initial reports, the shooting stemmed from a personal dispute, not from terrorism or extremism. About 800 law-enforcement officials were on duty at Wednesday’s event. Bystanders helped tackle some suspects.
Kansas City Shooting: Missouri Pastor Urges Pray for City, Which Is ‘Reeling’
After the Kansas City shooting, Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes posted on social media, “Praying for Kansas City.” Other players shared similar messages, with some offering to help young victims as they recover.
Malachi O’Brien, pastor of The Church at Pleasant Ridge in Harrisonville, Missouri, shared that a family in his congregation was standing about 20 feet from a gunman. The mother called O’Brien afterward to say her family was safe but her children are shaken and will likely need counseling.
In an interview with ChurchLeaders, O’Brien said his youth pastor “had the wherewithal” to contact all the teenagers from the church, checking in to make sure they were okay. During times of tragedy, O’Brien said, faith leaders “need to be a conduit,” staying available for people and providing resources to assist them.
The shooting has dominated local news and left Kansas City “reeling,” O’Brien said. He urged people to continue praying for residents and victims. “We pray for the Lord to intervene, for the Lord to showcase grace,” he said in a video posted the night of the shooting. O’Brien added that this type of senseless violence is “demonic…there’s no other way around it. The solution is the heart.”
Pastor Malachi O’Brien: Be Prepared & Stay Aware
O’Brien, an ultra-marathoner, said the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing changed how authorities handle security at large events. Although Kansas City has held several mass gatherings recently, this violence will probably change the city forever, he said.
