kansas city, missouri — Minutes after Kansas City Chiefs players vowed on Wednesday to go for a third straight Super Bowl title, shots were fired and multiple people near the parade route were carried away on stretchers.
Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins said eight to 10 people were injured, but he declined to give details, saying additional information would be released soon.
Police said in a news release that two people had been detained. Fans were urged to exit the area as quickly as possible.
The shooting broke the celebratory mood on Valentine’s Day as Chiefs fans marked the team’s third Super Bowl title in five seasons.
“We are stacking up trophies,” linebacker Drue Tranquill said as he grabbed a reporter’s microphone during the festivities to mark the Chiefs’ come-from-behind, 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.
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. Team owner Clark Hunt was on one of those buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy, given each year to the Super Bowl winners.
“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.
Key on the minds of many fans was whether pop superstar Taylor Swift would join her boyfriend Travis Kelce for the parade and victory speeches.
She was nowhere to be seen early in the parade. Instead, 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 around 15-20 Celsius had players stripping off shirts. The weather also helped generate a crowd that city officials estimate could top 1 million.
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